Board approves $278,916 contract to replace Village Elementary fire alarm system

The Round Lake Area Board of Education on Jan. 27 approved a $278,916 contract with MK Industries Inc. to replace the fire alarm system at Village Elementary School.

Board members said the existing control panel has been generating false alarms, required increasingly frequent service and is overcapacity because an auxiliary port was used to support detectors added for newly installed boilers. District staff said the current panel no longer meets some modern requirements and is becoming expensive to maintain, and National Fire Protection Code guidance requires functioning, maintained and regularly tested alarm systems.

District staff opened a public bid for the work and reported two bids; MK Industries submitted the lowest responsive bid at $278,916. Funding for the project will come partly from a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant ($143,324) with the remaining balance paid from district funds. The administration told the board the replacement is planned for summer 2025.

Facilities staff said the district is moving away from previously used proprietary fire alarm platforms toward open-protocol systems (the district cited Notifier as the manufacturer being used for recent upgrades), a change intended to broaden service options and reduce long-term maintenance costs. The board approved the contract by roll call vote; all members voted yes.

The administration said the work will be completed during the summer so the system will be in place for the next school year.