Lansing board approves replacement of aging access-control system amid broader safety discussion

The Lansing School Board voted to approve funding to replace the district’s aging S2 NetBox access-control system with an Avigilon Alta cloud-based system during its regular meeting.

District staff presented the proposal, saying the current S2 NetBox hardware is difficult to maintain, lacked vendor support and presented security vulnerabilities. “Our RS-two netbox system is aging,” the presenter, Evan (staff member), said during the presentation, noting parts availability problems and an interface he described as “difficult to navigate.”

The presentation said the proposed Avigilon Alta system integrates with the cameras the district is using, reduces reliance on on-site servers, supports remote administration and can notify selected administrators when doors are left open or propped. Staff said the vendor selected through the district’s RFP process was ADS; they cited ADS’s experience working with schools, warranty and an installation and hosting plan. The presentation listed an MSRP for hardware and software of about $116,000; staff also described an annual support/hosting charge but the figure presented during discussion was described imprecisely in the record and is not specified here.

Board members pressed staff on operational details, including whether the system will notify administrators when doors are unsecured, whether it will interoperate with newer camera-based threat-detection tools and the expected life span of installed readers. “Yes. The system we have now shows that, but it also requires us to have the system up. With the new system, it will send an email or text to the administrators that we select,” Evan said about door notifications. Staff said the new badge readers and equipment typically have an expected life of around 10 years and that non‑RFID readers would be replaced under the contract.

The board also discussed related safety tools that appeared elsewhere on the agenda. At one point, administrators and board members referenced a district panic/notification app (StopIt Notify 911). Board members asked whether district administrators had completed required training for that app; staff acknowledged training remained underway. Several board members said they wanted assurances administrators could send emergency notifications quickly while the district transitions systems.

After discussion, a motion to approve the access-control contract was seconded and carried on a roll-call vote. Board members who recorded votes on the record voted in favor.

The vendor selection followed an RFP process in which staff said they received four bids. Officials said implementation is planned for the summer and will include on-site user training. Staff described the decision as part of a multi-year plan to modernize building-entry controls and reduce reliance on aging, unsupported hardware.

Board members who asked questions during the presentation included principals and several trustees; the district expected to depreciate the system and to budget ongoing hosting and maintenance in future years. Staff said the contract can be expanded later to integrate interior door control if funding allows.

The board’s approval comes amid heightened attention to school safety issues. Public commenters at the meeting included parents who raised concerns about student safety and discipline; board discussion linked those concerns to investments in access control and emergency notification capacity.