Fort Smith Public Schools - SY 26 - 27 - Turnkey Audio Monitoring in compliance with Arkansas Eli's Law

The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals from qualified vendors with experience working with school districts to secure Fort Smith Public Schools - SY 26 - 27 - Turnkey Audio Monitoring in compliance with Arkansas Eli's Law.

Fort Smith Public Schools ("the District") is requesting proposals from qualified, licensed, and experienced vendors to provide an end-to-end turnkey solution for compliance with Arkansas' Eli's Law (Act 908 / A.C.A. § 6-21-122) across six (6) secondary school campuses.

The objective of this procurement is to select a vendor to design, furnish, deliver, install, network, configure, test, train District staff, warranty, & maintain compliant audio recording systems.

The selected vendor shall deliver a complete turnkey deployment across all six (6) secondary campuses, meeting the following requirements:

Compliance & Operational Requirements (Eli's Law)

• Supply and install high-quality audio recording sensors/devices in all locker rooms, changing rooms, and designated dressing areas across all six secondary campuses.
• Devices shall create and retain a continuous audio recording during the District's recording schedule. [...] Devices shall be audio only.
• Provide a secure, encrypted cloud storage environment for all captured audio recordings.
• Minimum retention: 90 days.
• Maximum retention: 12 months, with automated deletion purging unless an administrative hold or evidence lock is placed on a specific file.
• Secure, role-based access control restricted strictly to authorized district administrators.
• Comprehensive audit logging tracking all system interactions, audio playback, export actions, and access attempts.
• Supply and install prominent, high-visibility notice signage in each monitored room informing occupants of audio recording in compliance with state law.

Network Cabling & Hardware Installation

• Installation of Cat6/Cat6A plenum-rated low-voltage cabling from designated MDF/IDF closets to each sensor location.
• Physical mounting and secure installation of all audio devices and sensors.
• Integration into the District's existing network infrastructure or provision of dedicated PoE (Power over Ethernet) switches and power supplies as required.

System Testing & Commissioning

• Perform thorough end-to-end hardware testing, network connectivity validation, and audio clarity checks for every installed sensor.
• Conduct complete system commissioning to verify cloud ingestion, audit trails, automated retention workflows, and evidence locking features.

Administrative Training

• Provide comprehensive, hands-on administrative training for designated district personnel.
• Deliver complete user manuals, administrator documentation, and reference materials.

Service Agreement, Warranty, and Ongoing Support

• Equipment Warranty: Provide a minimum one-year warranty on all equipment, including replacement of defective equipment and associated labor.
• Technical Support: Provide ongoing technical support for the complete system, including audio recording devices, network connectivity, cloud storage, software, and administrative platform.

**Submission:** Fort Smith Public Schools is soliciting sealed electronic responses until 4:00 pm on Friday, December 18, 2026 via Fort Smith Public Schools' e-Procurement Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/fortsmithschools

The e-Procurement Portal Clock is the official clock for the determination of all deadline dates and times. Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline regardless of any technical difficulties such as poor internet connections.

Attendance at the site walkthrough is **MANDATORY** for all prospective bidders. Proposals submitted by vendors who fail to attend and sign the official attendance sheet will be deemed non-responsive and automatically rejected.

**Bid Bond:** Per applicable Arkansas public-construction requirements, please include a 5% Bid Bond.

**Insurance:** Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate. Automobile Liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit. Employers' liability coverage of at least $500,000 each accident, $500,000 disease policy limit, and $500,000 disease each employee.

**Contract term:** The initial term of the contract resulting from this RFP begins on the date of award and ends June 30, 2027 (the "Implementation Term"). After the Implementation Term, the District may, at its sole option, renew the contract for up to five (5) successive one-year terms, each running July 1 through June 30, with the final renewal term ending no later than June 30, 2032.