School committee approves $44,000 pilot to update West High intercom so it works with new phone system

The Manchester School Committee on Jan. 27 approved a pilot project to update the back-end intercom equipment at West High School so the buildings decades-old Bogen speaker system will work with the districts recently installed phone system. The motion passed with one opposed.

The pilot, presented by Steven Cross, director of technology, would replace the intercoms back-end components (in the schools equipment closet) rather than replacing speakers or wiring. Cross said the approach keeps existing wiring and ceiling speakers in place while making the intercom compatible with the new phone system.

Why it matters: When the district installed a new phone system earlier this year, staff discovered phones could no longer initiate a classroom "all-call" because the older Bogen intercom technology was incompatible. Full replacement of intercom systems could cost upward of $200,000 per school; Cross told the board the pilot approach would allow districtwide upgrades for under $50,000 per building in most cases.

What the board approved

- Motion and vote: Committee members approved the pilot motion (moved by Steven Cross; seconded by Committee member Gonzales) by voice vote. The meeting record shows the motion passed with one recorded opposition (Committee member Potter). Board members present indicated an affirmative voice vote and Mr. Potter noted his opposition; the chair declared the motion passed.

- Funding and procurement: Cross and other presenters said the work would be funded from previously authorized technology bond dollars (the district identified a tech bond of roughly $1.3 million established earlier). Because the pilot cost was under $50,000 the administration could have executed the work under policy, but staff brought the item to the full board for transparency because further work across schools will exceed that threshold.

Board discussion and concerns

Several board members urged a competitive procurement process for later phases. Committee member Potter expressed concern about proceeding without broader bidding; others said the pilot is necessary to test integration before issuing a districtwide solicitation.

Assistant Superintendent Ransdell supported the pilot, noting the age of the intercom infrastructure. "These systems are 60, pushing 70 years old, and that is why the technology just simply isn't compatible," he said.

Cross described the work as a back-end upgrade in the equipment closet and said the vendor can avoid replacing speakers and wiring, producing substantial cost savings compared with full rewiring and speaker replacement.

Outcome and next steps

The pilot at West High will proceed, allowing the district to verify the technical approach before budgeting and bidding for upgrades at other schools. Administration said it will return to the board with results from the pilot and a recommended procurement approach for remaining schools.