Board reviews $115,000 early-notification system under COPS grant that covers most costs

Superintendent Dr. Jay asked the board to authorize a district contribution to expand an InformaCast early-notification and classroom-display system across district sites, part of a three-phase safety upgrade funded primarily by a $500,000 federal COPS grant.

Dr. Jay said phase 1 (new cameras) is complete and "it's night and day better," and described the next phase as replacing aging analog intercoms and adding classroom clocks and visual displays that flash lockdown, fire or all-clear alerts. He estimated the district’s share for the proposed InformaCast installation at roughly $115,000 and noted a recurring subscription cost of about $3,000 per year (vendor/subscription purchased through CDW). He also discussed warranty and wiring work and said the district would aim to install equipment without disrupting instruction, with possible work during nights and summers.

Board members sought clarity on the vendor roster, number of bids and long-term maintenance costs; administration responded that Logicalis handled camera installation, that multiple vendors were contacted but vendors have differing capabilities, and that warranty coverage should be in the documents. Dr. Jay said the district will verify funding sources (M&O, rentals, capital accounts) and only proceed if the accounting makes sense.

The board did not take a final purchase authorization vote at this meeting; members asked administration to confirm funding lines, competitive procurement and warranty details and return with a purchase recommendation.

Sources: presentation and Q&A with Dr. Jay and vendor references during the meeting.