Case Study: Missoula County Public Schools achieves a scalable, 10GbE-ready digital learning network with Juniper Networks

Missoula County Sets Goals for High-Achieving Public Schools with a Rock-Solid Network Foundation

Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS), which serves about 8,900 students across multiple elementary, middle, and high schools, was held back by a legacy wired network—100 Mbps switches and many unmanaged devices—that created bottlenecks as classrooms adopted more tablets, laptops, and online assessments. Leadership identified a network refresh as a top priority to support digital learning, improve security, and future‑proof the district amid uncertain funding.

MCPS redesigned its campus network using Juniper EX4300 core switches (10GbE) and EX3300 access switches with Virtual Chassis and Layer‑3/VLAN design, implemented with local partner Access Consulting and funded through E‑Rate and a community bond. The upgrade eliminated wired bottlenecks, scaled capacity for heavy mobile use, provided a more economical, scalable foundation for a district fiber WAN and renovated classrooms (adding multiple network ports), and enabled new initiatives like a Juniper Academic Alliance pilot for students.

Missoula County Public Schools

Russ Hendrickson

Senior Systems Information Manager