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Board approves $101,500 Perry Weather system to improve athletic and campus safety
Summary
The Forsyth County Schools board approved purchase of a Perry Weather on-site weather system for seven high-school stations to give real-time lightning, heat and wind data; staff said the system is solar-powered, uses cellular communication and includes a 30-minute lightning clear countdown.
Forsyth County Schools approved the purchase of a Perry Weather on-site weather system on a unanimous vote, board members said. Staff recommended procurement through a TIPS cooperative contract for a listed amount of about $101,500.
District presenters Todd Shirley and Nathan Turner told the board the system would place seven rooftop stations at the district's seven high schools to provide real-time, on-site weather detection for athletic events and other uses. "It's a system that should last us for a long while," Turner said, noting the units are solar powered with battery backup intended to cover five to seven days without external power.
Turner described features intended to support safety decisions: an outdoor warning siren for lightning, a 30-minute automated countdown to "clear" that continues while lightning remains in the area, a wet-bulb sensor to flag heat-stress conditions, mobile app and desktop units, and an option for a real‑time connection to a meteorologist. He said the system sends push notifications to coaches about heat or cold limits and can be used by transportation and facilities for wind and road-condition awareness.
In discussion, board members asked whether the system detects weather on-site and how it communicates. Staff confirmed the units perform on-site detection and use cellular service to transmit alerts. Presenters said other users — including a PGA venue and local parks and recreation agencies — had adopted the system and that the district expects interoperability across school and county athletic sites.
Following the presentation and a staff recommendation that contract terms had been negotiated to be more favorable under the TIPS cooperative purchasing arrangement, a motion to approve the purchase carried unanimously. The board did not record a proposed implementation timeline in the presentation; staff said facilities had identified rooftop locations near stadiums and ball fields and that the devices would also support practices.
The board's approval is the formal authorization to proceed with procurement; staff will carry out contracting and installation steps under the approved cooperative agreement.
