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Board tables plan to spend up to $500,000 from IT reserve on radios, metal detectors after cost debate
Summary
After a technical presentation on a proposed districtwide Motorola radio system and a quote for Open Gate metal detectors, the Watertown Board of Education voted to table a proposal that would have authorized up to $500,000 from the district's IT reserve for security upgrades.
The Watertown City School District Board of Education paused consideration of a $500,000 security proposition after a lengthy presentation and questions from board members about cost, maintenance and community priorities.
Chris Flood, an engineer with Wells Communications and Bearcom, told the board the district’s planned upgrade would be a linked, capacity-plus Motorola digital radio system with eight repeaters at six locations and a convergence device (Motorola ION) for mobile data, voice and third‑party apps. Flood said the system would let staff “roam like a cell phone” across school sites, allow a districtwide emergency “site‑wide all call,” and offer encryption that limits scanner monitoring. He described radio models proposed for the quote (XPR 3500 handsets, R7 administrative radios, Motorola ION convergence devices) and mobile radios for…
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