Board approves RingCentral phone system; hardware paid from facility referendum

The Spartan Area School District Board approved a districtwide upgrade to a RingCentral phone system and authorized staff to proceed with implementation before the start of school.

The board was told that 5 Star would act as the vendor for the purchase and that, if approved, the district could have the system in place prior to the first day of classes because wiring is already in place. Leah, a staff member, said the vendor work makes on-site implementation "realistic that with action tonight, we could have this implemented prior to the first day of school. All the wiring is in place already."

Matt, a staff member, described the physical installation: "it's really the hardware is just unplugging the old phone and plugging in the new phone. I say just, but there is a lot of unpackaging and things, so we'd have some extra hands on deck to make that happen." He said the district is recommending RingCentral; the initial hardware cost is about $21,000 and will be paid from the facility referendum. He added the new system carries an annual operating cost of about $40,000, which would come from the general fund and replace the district's existing phone operating cost.

Action and votes: A motion to approve the new districtwide phone system carried on roll call, 5-0, with two members absent.

Context: District staff said software configuration will be required even after physical installation, and the district already budgets for an annual phone operating expense; the $40,000 figure represents the expected ongoing cost for the RingCentral service.

Next steps: Staff will coordinate with 5 Star and schedule installation so phones are ready for the first day of school.