Luxemburg-Casco board approves replacement of intermediate school PA and mass‑notification system

The Luxemburg‑Casco School District Board of Education voted to replace the intermediate school public‑address (PA) and speaker system, approving the district’s recommendation to purchase an IP‑integrated system that includes panic‑button mass notification and digital signage.

District staff told the board that the current system dates to the 1990s and no longer provides reliable coverage in parts of the building, particularly the north and south end rooms. Staff said some speakers do not work and that the old system requires manual programming via an analog phone interface. Three vendor proposals were presented for the work.

O&W Communications — the vendor that installed the original system — quoted $108,502 to replace the entire system, including wiring and all speakers. Johnson Control proposed replacing the controller head, repairing nonworking speakers and adding speakers where needed for $72,490. Connecting Point (also referenced as “Camera Corner/Connecting Point” in meeting materials) offered a package priced at $44,198 that included the controller replacement, speaker repairs/additions, digital corridor signage, strobe lights for the band room and a panic button tied to an Intrado Revolution emergency‑notification integration.

District staff recommended the Connecting Point proposal, saying it met the coverage needs and added features the district wanted, including the ability to lock doors and broadcast synchronized messages across IP systems if the panic button is activated. A vendor representative described how the Intrado Revolution integration can dial 911, broadcast verbal messages over the PA, change digital signage colors, flash strobes and send mobile notifications to staff with a companion app.

Board members asked about installation timing and staffing impacts. Staff said cabling work for uncovered areas would likely be scheduled over a break (winter or summer) to avoid disrupting classes. The district also noted plans to replace the phone system next year and that the recommended PA solution is IP‑compatible with a future phone upgrade.

A motion to approve the recommended Connecting Point proposal carried on a voice vote. The board did not provide a roll‑call tally in the transcript for this motion, but the motion was approved during the action‑item vote sequence.

The district will proceed with contracting and scheduling; staff said they will coordinate installation timing to minimize classroom disruption and that expanded districtwide integration is possible in later phases if the board chooses to extend the system to other buildings.