When students return to BOHS in the fall, some of the first improvements they may notice are Chromebooks that don’t take minutes to load, teachers able to consistently connect to their displays, and fewer dead spots that currently plague large swaths of the campus.
These improvements are the result of an upgraded AT&T Wi-Fi network, from Wi-Fi 5 and its 3.5 gigabits per second (Gbps), to Wi-Fi 7’s 46 Gbps. The project was approved by the Brea Olinda Unified School District (BOUSD) Board of Trustees Jan. 23.
The installation of 121 Fortinet wireless access points to enable the upgraded Wi-Fi costs $127,536.73, with 50% of the amount cost covered by the E-Rate federal incentive program, which is designed to provide discounted high-speed internet access to schools and libraries.
Josh Barton, BOUSD Information Technology (IT) Specialist, said the upgrade will “improve campus-wide connectivity,” and is currently in its “final phase” of installation throughout the district.
The last Wi-Fi upgrade was “around five” years ago, according to Barton. Since then, an increase in device usage — “upwards of about 6,000” due to one-to-one Chromebooks and internet-connected phones — has resulted in “a lot of strain” on the current network.
Preparations for an upgrade began two years ago. Desmond Nguyen, BOUSD Wi-Fi Specialist, has been replacing the network switches (devices that connect other devices to a computer network) across campus to make future network updates run smoother. According to Barton, Nguyen has “just finished” upgrading all access points at BOHS to ensure completion of the switch.
While the upper campus upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 is funded by the E-Rate program, Measure H, Brea Olinda Unified School District’s (BOUSD) $160 million school bond proposal passed in November 2024, is funding extended Wi-Fi access to the lower stadium area, where no internet systems exist at all.
Joey Davis, BOHS principal, told the Wildcat that the new Wi-Fi “will be more reliable and do a better job of handling the Wi-Fi traffic.”
This is welcome news for members of BOHS’s faculty.
The reliability of Wi-Fi is especially important for Global Information Technology Academy (GITA) teacher Todd Salesky, whose classes are primarily web-based. “My programming software platforms run on online-only,” Salesky said. “Any improvements so that kids can be more efficient in their work is helpful.”
According to Nadia Fox, French teacher, after lunch, the Wi-Fi slows down and becomes “spotty” in her west wing classroom. The inconsistent Wi-Fi affects the in-class games she hosts as part of her lessons. Because her class is largely technology-based and reliant on Wi-Fi, she’s hopeful the upgraded network will maintain a strong connection throughout the day.
Brittany Kurtz, history teacher, often experiences dropped connections between her MacBook and TV monitor, making her presentations on history a challenge. Kurtz is looking forward to more reliable connectivity.
“I know a lot of teachers will be very happy,” Kurtz said.
BOHS’s student body will experience more reliable connections, faster loading and downloading speeds, and fewer dead spots.
Currently, students who spend their lunch in the cafeteria, M building, and lower parking lot, experience slow load speeds, dropped calls, and text messages not sending. And student athletes endure dead spots in the locker rooms and on the fields.
Serafina Pressman (‘28), track and volleyball athlete, hopes that having better Wi-Fi in the gym will help with “better communication” with her mother when coordinating pick-up from practice and games.
The upgraded Wi-Fi will impact all of these areas, according to Barton.
It will also improve student productivity.
A network that can handle more devices means students like Allysha Abutin (’28) can focus on her work “without worrying about assignments not loading” on her Wi-Fi-connected iPad.
According to Barton, the new network will be “fully installed, tested, and ready to go” when students return to campus in August.
