Education Networks of America, the company that’s managed the Idaho Education Network since it was awarded the multimillion-dollar contract by the state in 2009, has sent a letter out to Idaho school districts offering to work with them on individual, short-term contracts under the stopgap funding that the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved this morning; the money will go to the state superintendent of schools, to reimburse or advance to school districts for their broadband costs for the remainder of this fiscal year.

“Education Networks of America is proud of the work that we have accomplished together with you in building the IEN,” David Pierce, CEO of the Nashville, Tenn.-based company, wrote in the letter. “After five years of exemplary performance, we are now faced with a declaration that the state’s actions in splitting the award caused the contract under which we have performed to be void. This is driving the need to create a simple contract between ENA and your district if we are to continue to provide services.”

This morning at JFAC, lawmakers were advised that the previous IEN vendors could bid on the short-term services to school districts for the rest of the year, as could any other vendor. You can read ENA’s full letter here.