Shawn Swanby built his high-tech company from the ground up, starting in his living room in 1997 back when he was a University of Idaho student. Now he runs a Post Falls-based firm that provides technology services to schools across the Northwest, from the Coeur d’Alene School District to Seattle Public Schools. But he couldn’t win a statewide contract in Idaho to provide wireless networks in high schools; nor could a Twin Falls, Idaho, education technology firm that already has worked with 71 of Idaho’s 113 school districts. Instead, the 5- to 15-year, multimillion-dollar contract went to a politically connected Nashville, Tenn., firm/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here. (Jesse Tinsley SR photo: Shawn Swanby, one of the founders of Ednetics, stands in front of his building in Post Falls on Monday)

• 203 schools sign up for Idaho's Wi-Fi contract/Eye on Boise
• Review committee says Wi-Fi selection process was fair/Eye on Boise

Thoughts?