Marietta City School Board unanimously approved three separate technology contracts valued at about $126,000 during this week’s board meeting.

The group approved an $84,870 contract with reimbursements from Lockstep Technology Group; a $25,298 contract with IronPort appliance; and a $16,316, 12-month contract with Comcast.

The Lockstep project costs a total of $468,798, but E-Rate eligibility allows the district to receive the technology equipment and services at a discounted out-of-pocket expense of a little less than $85,000.

E-Rate is a program administered by the Federal Communications Commission and provides discounts to public schools and libraries on technology purchases.

The Lockstep contract will pay for services at Lockheed, Dunleith, Park Street and Hickory Hills elementary schools and the Marietta Central Office.

IronPort appliance is a program that helps the district’s technology team filter incoming and outgoing junk email.

“This is a really good product … a critical device for our system,” said David Digiovanni, the district’s director of technology and information systems.

The board approved a three-year renewal subscription.

The Comcast contract is costing Marietta City roughly five times less than it usually costs due to E-Rate eligibility.

The extra fiber network will allow the district to back itself up in case of a power outage caused by bad weather, construction digging, car accidents or equipment failures.

Digiovanni said this is critical because Marietta schools access student testing and other applications using the Internet.