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Boone County Schools approves districtwide translation, intercom and safety upgrades
Summary
The board approved a districtwide upgrade to intercom and safety systems intended to improve in-class translation for English learners and add modern safety features; administrators said principals supported the full, districtwide rollout rather than a staggered approach.
The Boone County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a districtwide program to replace aging intercom systems and add translation and modern school-safety features to every building.
Superintendent Dr. Hauswold described the project as both a learning and safety investment. “It’s an investment in safety. It’s an investment in student learning,” he said, explaining that the new systems can provide real‑time translation for English learners and deliver targeted emergency communications to selected classrooms or building sections.
Administrators told the board principals preferred a complete, single-year rollout rather than a piecemeal two- or three-year approach. The district’s presentation said the average cost is roughly $350,000 per building; administrators said that replacing aging intercoms piecemeal currently costs $50,000–$75,000 per building and does not integrate with newer devices.
The proposed features include: push-button silent alerts that notify the office and SRO, selective announcements to classrooms, real-time confirmation that staff have received lockdown instructions, and automated translations for announcements to support English learners. Principals and board members said the package addresses both daily instructional needs (so EL students understand classroom instructions) and critical safety needs (so staff and administrators can target or confirm alerts during emergencies).
Board members noted the system’s modern features — a faculty “pinch” on a device that triggers a silent alert was highlighted as an immediate safety improvement — and praised principal input during the project design. The board voted 5–0 to approve the item.
Administrators said documentation, visual demonstrations and PowerPoint summaries explaining how the system works will be posted to the district website and shared with parents and staff. The superintendent said principals will begin rollouts and staff training after procurement.
The motion passed with no recorded dissent; the board did not specify vendor contract details during the meeting.
