The El Paso ISD Board of Trustees authorized district staff to purchase a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system and infrastructure solution from Computacenter U.S. (authorized Cisco fulfiller) with a multi-year cost plan that administration said totals about $2.2 million for the initial term.

Trustees voted 5–0 to approve the purchase, which administration described as a replacement of legacy equipment and an installation of classroom-mounted telephones that would improve emergency communications and compliance with school-safety requirements.

Trustee Leverage moved the procurement and the motion was seconded; the board carried the item unanimously. Trustee Sutton summed up the safety rationale during deliberations: "I personally think this is a great idea because I always had to use my cell phone and didn't necessarily want parents having my cell phone number. So it's a great safety feature," she said.

District staff told trustees the existing telephone infrastructure is aged and composed of multiple, mixed systems and that the summer had seen service interruptions. Administration said the VoIP installation would place a working telephone in every classroom that lacks one and upgrade antiquated phones so a classroom-originated 911 call would transmit both location and room information to emergency dispatch. A project timeline presented to trustees set a start in July with phased completion in early fall, contingent on vendor scheduling and contract execution.

Trustees and staff also clarified funding sources. Administration said they will use a combination of state safety allotment funds rolled into FY24–25 and the FY25–26 safety allotment, with technology budget coverage for ongoing subscription costs. Trustee Osterlund asked for confirmation on the initial and renewal amounts; staff said the motion authorized the initial purchase and included an option to renew four additional one-year terms at a stated annual rate.

The motion approved in the meeting specified procurement via the Texas Department of Information Resources contract (DIR CP0 5347) and authorized the stated initial amount and the option years as described in the staff recommendation. Administration said the project would start after board approval and contract execution and would be coordinated with campuses to minimize instructional disruption.

Public comment on the item included questions about whether phones had previously existed in classrooms and requests to ensure installation is prioritized in campuses with the highest need; trustees and staff agreed to prioritize implementation logistics and communicate timelines to campuses and families.

The board passed the motion 5–0; staff will return with final contract documents for administrative processing and will report on implementation progress to the board.