Introduction
Nicholas County Schools in West Virginia set out to achieve what many would consider impossible: build an IT network designed to last 50 years. A network that supports students’ growing digital needs while dramatically reducing construction, energy, and operational costs.
This opportunity emerged during the development of the new Richwood Academic Complex, where a forward-thinking technology director reimagined traditional network design with a future-proof architecture.
Project Overview
Historic flooding destroyed Richwood High School and Richwood Middle School, leaving the district to rebuild. Instead of starting entirely from scratch, the district expanded an existing 40,000-square-foot elementary school into a 110,000-square-foot K-12 facility.
This rebuild offered a rare chance to design an IT infrastructure capable of supporting the district for decades from the ground up.
The Facility
Richwood Academic Complex
- 110,000 square feet (K–12)
- Classrooms, labs, gymnasiums, administrative offices, and specialized learning spaces
- 39 Edge IDFs distributed throughout the building
- Infrastructure designed for long-term scalability, safety, and sustainability
The Challenge
Typical network designs rely on numerous intermediate distribution frame (IDF) closets, AC power, cooling, and extensive copper cabling—elements that quickly become outdated and expensive to maintain.
Key challenges included:
- Avoiding constant equipment upgrades to meet rising bandwidth and power demands
- Eliminating power reliability issues and harmful AC-to-DC conversion losses
- Reducing construction and operational costs
- Minimizing disruption for future moves, adds, and changes
- Ensuring the network could last 50 years
The Solution
Technology Director Chris Hanshaw discovered Sinclair™ Digital’s AGILE-CORE™ Distributed Edge Architecture, a modular system that combines fiber connectivity with safe, intelligent low-voltage power distribution.
The architecture replaces traditional, copper-heavy, IDF-dependent networks with a streamlined hub-and-spoke model that delivers:
- Distributed fiber and DC power
- Long-distance safe fault-managed power (FMP)
- Scalable bandwidth and power capacity
- Reduced heat, noise, and electrical interference
- Lower construction costs and long-term operating expenses
“Sinclair™ Digital’s AGILE-CORE™ gave us a way to deliver the technology students need—while boosting power, saving space, and cutting costs.”
—Chris Hanshaw, Nicholas County Board of Education Technology Director and Facilities Manager
Implementation Details
Hanshaw and Sinclair™ Digital began by installing a demo classroom using a single Edge IDF. The classroom was fully connected within four hours—demonstrating the ease and speed of deployment.
After validation, the design was expanded to all learning and administrative spaces, resulting in:
- 39 Edge IDFs installed throughout the complex
- Fanless, ruggedized switches with a 20-year average lifespan
- Distribution of clean, safe DC power with minimal losses
- Use of StrandWise hybrid cable (power + fiber in one plenum-rated sheath)
Each Edge IDF supports two classrooms and delivers Gigabit connectivity and PoE to:
- Wi-Fi 5 access points
- 86-inch interactive displays
- Digital PA systems
- VoIP phones and emergency buttons
- Printers, clocks, and other educational technologies
Distance Considerations
Fault-managed power enables data and power transmission up to 2000 feet from the HEADEND to each Edge IDF, which is far beyond copper’s 100-meter limit.
Each StrandWise hybrid cable bundle includes:
- Six strands of single-mode fiber
- Six 18AWG copper conductors
This allows:
- Up to 300 GB bandwidth potential per Edge IDF
- Up to 1800 W total power capacity
- Significant dark fiber and dormant copper reserves for future technology
- Compatibility with renewable energy sources, including solar
Results and Future Expansion
Major outcomes include:
- Over $1 million in construction savings versus a conventional network
- 30% energy savings by eliminating IDF cooling and AC-to-DC inefficiencies
- Reclaimed square footage for three offices and two multi-purpose closets
- Simplified long-term maintenance and rapid device deployment
- A network expected to remain viable for 50 years
- Eligibility for E-Rate funding
Hanshaw estimates that his maintenance workload and costs will remain dramatically lower because moves, adds, and changes no longer require electricians or new switch closets, only patch cables.
With spare bandwidth, unused switch ports, flexible PoE capacity, and renewable-energy readiness, the network is built to evolve alongside emerging technologies, including robotics, AI-powered tools, and immersive learning systems.
Conclusion
Nearly ten years after the floods, Richwood students now learn in a modern, future-ready campus powered by AGILE-CORE™ Distributed Edge Architecture. The design cut construction and operating costs while delivering a durable, high-performance network built for generations.
Hanshaw calls it the district’s “insurance plan”—a self-sustaining network that supports modern learning and keeps students ready for a rapidly evolving digital world.
Insights + Success Stories
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