Board approves new phone system after staff warns Mitel platform is at end‑of‑life
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Summary
District IT staff told the board the district’s Mitel phone system has reached end‑of‑sale and support limits and the vendor entered Chapter 11; staff recommended moving to Cisco Webex calling under a five‑year agreement. Board approved procurement after questions about funding source and recurring licensing costs.
Oldham County Schools on Monday approved a five‑year contract to replace the district’s Mitel phone system after staff said the current platform is out of sale, has limited vendor support and the vendor is in bankruptcy proceedings.
Trey (last name not specified), the district’s IT lead, told the board that Mitel marked the product end‑of‑sale in 2024 and had signaled limited return‑merchandise authorization and software patches. In March the company filed a voluntary Chapter 11, he said, leaving the district with degraded support options.
“It's highly recommended to run a phone system that’s under support that we can call the company for whatever issues we may have,” Trey said, explaining the urgency of a replacement.
District staff recommended Cisco Webex Calling as the preferred replacement following evaluation of several vendors. The plan presented is a five‑year purchase under an existing state master contract; the district would buy handsets and install on a staged refresh schedule and pay annual licensing thereafter. Trey said the handsets are the largest upfront cost and that licensing for the fifth‑year renewal looked to be roughly $40,000 annually on the current proposal; there is an optional 12‑month renewal to lock pricing at the end of year five.
Board members pressed staff on funding and long‑term costs. A board member asked whether the cost could come from the bonded construction fund; another said they preferred not to use general fund dollars for the one‑time purchase if possible. Trey said he would provide a breakdown of top vendor options and why Cisco was recommended if the board wanted more time to review alternatives.
After discussion, the board removed the phone line item from the broader consent motion and then voted separately to approve the phone system procurement. The motion to approve the Cisco Webex proposal passed 4‑0.
Trey said the district expects the cloud‑based platform to improve mobility (allowing staff to use desk extensions from other devices), add user‑friendly configuration and provide failover options if Internet connectivity is lost. He also noted that a staged refresh reduces the risk of a single mass replacement during the school year.
Speakers in the discussion included Trey (IT lead), Superintendent Dr. Radford (who participated in funding questions) and board members who requested additional comparative pricing and analysis prior to final implementation details.
