Board approves $1.57M IP paging and notification upgrade for three schools

The Gilbert Public Schools board on March 31 approved a purchase to replace aging analog paging and notification systems at three pilot schools with a modern IP‑based mass notification system.

District staff said the pilot purchase — estimated at about $1,569,51 (transcript figure read for the board as approximately $1.57 million) — will include IP digital displays in classrooms, multicolored strobe lights for visual alerts to meet ADA visibility concerns, weather‑resistant outdoor audio horns, and cabling work (Cat‑6 CMP) and full zone testing. The project is described as a full implementation at the selected sites (a pilot only in the sense the district will refine implementation lessons for future rollouts) and staff indicated the work would be done outside instructional hours or during the summer, with a target completion before the next school year.

Dr. McCord and technical staff clarified funding: the project itself is not E‑rate eligible, but the district intends to use rate‑reimbursement funds (funds accumulated from network/broadband reimbursements) to pay for the work. Staff said the vendor proposal is a turnkey installation including cabling, hardware, configuration and knowledge transfer, with a five‑year warranty on equipment and an expected useful life on components of roughly 7–10 years.

Board members asked technical and procurement questions — including whether the installation would require major wall work, warranty length, whether the company would perform turnkey installation and whether the project addressed ADA compliance — and staff answered that the cabling will run above ceilings, classroom endpoints and displays will be replaced, strobes will be visible outside classrooms and the vendor will provide installation, configuration and training.

The board approved the project by voice vote.