Forsyth board awards Syntegix safety notification contract, approves policy updates and bond refundings
Summary
The board unanimously approved award of RFP 25‑13 to Syntegix for a systemwide safety notification (panic alert) system to comply with state law, readopted or updated several board policies and adopted two bond refunding resolutions estimated to save about $6 million over the life of the bonds.
The Forsyth County Board of Education approved a package of operational and fiscal actions at its meeting, including awarding RFP 25‑13 for a systemwide safety notification (panic‑alert) system to Syntegix, adopting several policy changes, approving the 2027–28 student calendar, and authorizing two refunding bond resolutions.
Systemwide safety notification (RFP 25‑13): Speaker 13 described a competitive RFP process launched in September, with 14 contractors solicited and six responses reviewed by a multi‑disciplinary evaluation committee that conducted demonstrations and reference checks. The recommended award was RFP 25‑13 to Syntegix; presenters said the solution includes wearable badges, colored strobes in rooms to aid ADA visibility, and integration with internal systems and external dispatch. The vendor and district indicated a rollout plan that would begin immediately after final contract execution and target the statutory compliance date of July 2026. The motion to approve the award passed unanimously (SEG 1536-1723).
Policies and calendar: The board approved ministerial changes to policy IBB (charter schools) that reflect recent statutory revisions and readopted policy BCBI (public participation) after it sat for 30 days with no substantial public feedback. The board also adopted the proposed 2027–28 student calendar; presenters noted the district may revisit dates later to accommodate testing and venue scheduling as needed (SEG 1417-1489).
Bond refundings and projected savings: Financial advisors and bond counsel presented two refunding transactions to refinance 2016 general obligation and PFA bonds. Raymond James and counsel said the combined action is expected to yield roughly $6 million in net present value savings over the life of the issues (about $4.966 million on the GO issue and about $356,000 on the smaller PFA issue). The GO final maturity remains 2033 and the PFA maturity 2031; the board adopted resolutions authorizing the transactions and the required intergovernmental agreements; a bond‑validation court hearing was described as the next step before closing (SEG 1726-1972). The motions were adopted unanimously.
Other votes: The consent agenda (including a bus radio purchase and a shared‑fuel intergovernmental agreement), personnel approvals, and the East Bluffs election certification were all approved by unanimous vote during the meeting. Several members thanked staff for the thorough procurement process and noted an intention to hold community briefings on the new safety technology and procurement choices.
The board did not take any recorded votes opposing any of the motions; all actions listed here passed by unanimous vote as recorded during the meeting.
