• Incremental Cost Analysis. The estimated TCO as determined by the K12 TCO Calculator includes only those costs directly related to the purchase and use of technology. It does not include costs incurred in the normal operation of the school.
• Technology Plan. The time from the start of technology implementation to a steady state of technology use will be five years. The implementation of the technology plan should not start until it has been reviewed by all members of the teaching staff and approved by appropriate members of the administrative staff.
• Building Modification. The school building will be modified as necessary to ensure a safe and comfortable learning environment. Facilities modification will be accomplished in parallel with related technology integration initiatives in order to minimize the combined total cost of both efforts. The cost savings when planned building construction for non-technology purposes is undertaken at the same time as technology-related construction is 7 percent of the total cost of the individual efforts if performed separately.
• Equipment Purchases. All equipment obtained will be most current vintage. The prices suggested in the K12 TCO calculator are averages from multiple vendors of equipment with similar specifications and are updated periodically to reflect changes in fair market value. Equipment procurement and use estimates are based on the average number of attending students, not the total student enrollment. Provision is made for interim upgrades and scheduled replacement.
• Warranties. All equipment will come with a minimum three-year warranty that will cover replacement (pro-rated if necessary) or repair.
• Replacement. One half of the existing school technology inventory is considered usable for the first three years of the technology plan. All equipment will be junked, sold, or otherwise eliminated from the system on a pre-determined schedule as part of a planned process to manage future costs. Replacement schedules are identified in the detailed assumptions below and are linked from the data entry pages.
• First-Year Cost. All labor and associated costs for building additions and modifications are front loaded in year one.
• Professional Development. Training for staff will comprise 30% of the technology budget. This figure is based on recommendations by the U.S. Department of Education. (U.S. Department of Education. Getting America's students ready for the 21st Century: Meeting the technology literacy challenge. Washington, DC, 1996. http://www.ed.gov/Technology/Plan/)
• Special needs populations. Technology requirements for special needs populations are defined by individual states. No provision for these related costs is included in this program and any additional costs required to meet these requirements may be added in line 90.

Building Modifications. Major modifications include upgrading windows, improving or adding HVAC systems, improving electrical service, and improving lighting. Air Conditioning. Adding technology, such as computers and monitors, to your school can increase electrical service demands, especially demanding air conditioning units to counteract heat generated by these products. If required, air conditioning will be provided or upgraded to compensate for this heat generation. The general "rule of thumb" for the calculator is to assume each computer workstation will produce as much heat as one student.

Sufficient Electrical Service. This should be certfied by an electrical contractor.

Electrical Upgrade. Upgrading available electrical power includes all required work outside the school building, up to and including the main circuit box, as well as that inside the building.

Electrical Outlets. There will be a minimum of 15 wall outlets per classroom. Preferably, there will be 50 percent more than the maximum number of computers, printers, TVs, audioconferencing units, and scanners in use in any one room.

Electric Bill. The present electricity bill is used as a point of reference to determine the additional cost of electricity to support the technology system.

Asbestos. An asbestos- and lead-free environment will exist.

Multipurpose Rooms. Include only rooms used for technology-supported activities, such as cafeterias, meeting rooms, music rooms, lecture rooms, and study halls.

Media Center. Include classrooms, labs, and studios used for computer-based activities as well as video production.

Furniture. All new furniture is assumed to be PC compatible and ergonomically correct, and to provide safe cable access and equipment stability and safety. The target is one computer-compatible desk and chair for each computer.

Thomas Dolan suggests considering the following questions prior to purchasing furniture:

1. What are the ages of the students?
2. Does the furniture potentially present ergonomic problems?
3. Can I mix and match?
4. Can the furniture be moved easily?
5. Is the furniture adaptable?
6. Is the furniture of high quality?
7. What is the likely life cycle of the furniture?

One new monitor, CRT or flat-screen display, is required for each desktop and thin client terminal. The average monitor lifespan is six years. Calculations are based on equal distribution of CRT and flat-screen displays by the end of the implementation of the five-year technology plan.

Software costs and system upgrades are also included in the calculations. Upgrades to a desktop, integrated, or thin client computer include a motherboard and processor. Macintosh and notebook computers will need memory upgrades and bigger or faster hard drives. Application software is calculated on a per-student per -year basis. Maintenance software includes virus control, utilities, and filtering.

Integrated Computers. The cost of a monitor is not included in the replacement cost of integrated computers.

Servers. There will be one server for every 250 computers on the network. The average server life span is three years.

Thin-Client Servers. There will be one thin-client server for every 60 thin-client terminals. The average thin-client server life span is three years.

Calculators. There will be an average of one calculator for every five students.

Printers. There will be two printers for every five computers. The average printer life span is four years.

Scanners. There will be one scanner for five computers. The average scanner life span is three years.

Fax or Scanner/Fax/Copiers. There will be at least three units plus one for each additional five members of the non-teaching staff. The average life span is three years.

Televisions. Any TV used in a classroom environment will have at least a 24-inch screen. Larger screens may be necessary in some rooms.

Portable Projectors. One portable LCD projector will be purchased for every 250 students every two years with a maximum of 10 portable projectors per school.

Ceiling-mounted Projectors. There will be one ceiling-mounted LCD projector in each school auditorium, plus one additional unit in each room large enough to justify its use.

Digital Cameras. One digital camera and necessary memory devices will be purchased for every 150 students every two years.

Digital Videocameras. One digital videocamera will be purchased for every 250 students every two years, with a maximum of 10 videocameras per school.

Audioconferencing Units. One classroom-capable audioconferencing unit will be provided in 10 percent of all classrooms.

LAN. The local area networking is assumed to be 100 MB/s copper category 5 UTP to the desktop with a fiber optic backbone.

Communication Jacks. A minimum of six jacks is required in each instructional room.

ISDN. T-1 or ISDN service to all schools is assumed by the end of the five-year implementation period.

Phone Service. PBX service is assumed for voice communications. Centrex is not included due to its relatively high cost and lack of need for many of its features in a school environment. Data switching is independent of the PBX.

Construction Budget. The anticipated five-year school construction budget is the total for years one through five.