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TUSD outlines phased rollout of Syntegix badge system, testing through May and summer
Summary
District officials said Syntegix emergency‑notification hardware and sensors have been installed in phases across campuses, that testing and site‑based training are scheduled in May, and that full activation is planned after summer testing to ensure coverage and staff readiness.
Tucson Unified School District officials updated the governing board on April 15 about the phased installation and testing of Syntegix, a badge‑based emergency notification and response system approved by the board in October.
Joseph Hallums, who is leading the implementation, told trustees the work began after the October vote with procurement and data‑integration steps. Installation started in March and included network data drops and the placement of sensors and strobes — Hallums said Tucson High alone required more than 600 sensors. The district moved into a testing phase in April and said it will continue tests over the summer.
District staff plan site‑based administrator training on May 1 and scheduled 75‑minute sessions at each school in the first two weeks of May to train administrators and identified responders who will manage requests in their buildings. Hallums said the training will involve administrators and staff designated to respond, with an emphasis on integrating Syntegix into routine drills.
For logistical reasons, Hallums said the district does not plan to flip the system to live operation just before the school year ends; instead, staff will finalize testing and turn it on later, after the planned May training and additional summer testing to ensure coverage of campuses and pickup areas.
Hallums said the testing phase has revealed gaps — expected with a rollout of this scale — and the district is working with Syntegix to close them. He described ongoing collaboration with school teams and said the district aims to provide every employee with a badge that will allow them to request assistance or initiate a lockdown when warranted.
Superintendent Jerheel Trujillo said the district will continue to coordinate with the vendor and school leaders to ensure administrators are prepared. Trustees asked about scheduling and reach of training; district staff said they will deliver administrator sessions and follow up with site‑based responder training.
No formal board action was required; the presentation served as an operational update in advance of system activation and continued testing.
