Case Study: Chico Unified School District achieves gigabit-class, high-density districtwide Wi‑Fi with RUCKUS Networks

Preparing the Next Generation for Dynamic Learning

Chico Unified School District, which serves more than 12,000 students across 21 schools in a 322‑square‑mile area, was struggling with an aging wireless infrastructure that could only support about 40 clients per access point. With hundreds of iPads and thousands of Chromebooks in use (and more planned), plus Common Core testing and media‑rich digital learning, the district needed reliable, high‑density, district‑wide Wi‑Fi and simple centralized management.

Partnering with NWN IT, Chico deployed a Ruckus solution: over 400 ZoneFlex access points (R710/7982 indoor, 7782 outdoor), 120 ICX switches with 10 Gbps links, and two redundant ZoneDirector 5000 controllers, moving to a mix of 802.11n/802.11ac and BeamFlex antennaing. The upgrade increased concurrent client capacity and coverage (one AP per two classrooms), improved signal strength and reliability across indoor and outdoor sites, centralized management, future‑proofed the network, and met or exceeded the district’s expectations while lowering total cost of ownership.

Chico Unified School District

John Vincent

Director of Technology