Forsyth County Schools board approves Perry Weather system for high-school sites
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Summary
The Forsyth County Schools Board approved a districtwide purchase of the Perry Weather on-site monitoring system for its high schools, citing improved lightning detection, wet‑bulb heat monitoring and countywide coordination. The motion passed unanimously.
The Forsyth County Schools Board on Sept. 16 approved purchase of a Perry Weather on-site monitoring system to place weather stations at the district's high schools, board members said.
Board materials and presenters described a plan to install seven solar‑powered stations on high‑school roofs with mobile and desktop apps, a wet‑bulb sensor to alert about heat stress, an outdoor lightning siren and a 30‑minute automated countdown to a "clear" status for lightning events. Presenter Nathan Turner said the system connects by cellular signal and offers a real‑time connection to a meteorologist, with an approximate five‑minute delay for responses.
"It's going to give us the real up‑to‑date knowledge that we need," Turner said, describing faster decision time than previous app‑based tools. Todd Shirley, who introduced the presentation, said the district plans to use the stations for practices, games and other safety functions including transportation and road‑condition monitoring.
A contracting representative told the board that the purchase was negotiated under a TIPS cooperative procurement and recommended approval "as specified in this action item." The agenda listed an amount in the line item; during the meeting the presenter read the amount as $101,500 (the transcript repeats that figure in an unclear form). Mr. Grimes moved to approve the purchase; Mr. Asher seconded, and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.
The presenters noted the system's broader county integration: parks and recreation and other local users can access shared coverage, which the presenters said will make notification and event clearance consistent across organizations. Board members asked technical questions about winter calibration and communications; presenters said the stations are solar powered with battery backup and use cell service for data transmission.
The board did not attach additional conditions to the approval and the motion was recorded as approved unanimously. The district will move forward with contracting and site installation under the cooperative contract terms discussed at the meeting.