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Catalina Foothills board approves Centegix badge system in $519,670 five‑year contract
Summary
The Catalina Foothills Unified School District board approved a five‑year Centegix wearable crisis‑alert badge contract worth $519,670, funded by bond dollars and district assistance, with implementation slated to begin in November and full deployment expected in about three months.
The Catalina Foothills Unified School District governing board voted unanimously Oct. 22 to award a five‑year contract to Centegix for a districtwide crisis‑alert badge system, Superintendent Dr. Denise Bartlett said.
Dr. Bartlett told the board the Centegix system uses wearable badges staff members can press to send an alert; repeated activations can trigger a lockdown and initiate a 911 call. The system provides room‑level location tracking (via low‑energy Bluetooth), integrates with the district PA and fire systems, supports strobe lights and audible alerts for campus lockdowns, and includes software updates under the five‑year contract, she said.
"This system empowers every employee to be in charge and mindful of the safety and security on campus," Dr. Bartlett said, describing both daily uses — for example, summoning a nurse — and responses in a serious emergency. She added that the district negotiated a five‑year equal payment plan and reviewed contract language and Centegix’s financial stability with the district’s legal and trust advisors.
The Centegix proposal listed $484,000 for contract services, equipment and materials plus $35,670 in tax for a total of $519,670 over five years; Dr. Bartlett said $156,000 would be paid in year one and roughly $82,000 would be paid in each of the following four years. The superintendent said bond funds and district additional assistance will fund the project and that work would begin in November with a roughly three‑month installation timeline.
Trustees asked whether badges would be site specific and how itinerant staff would be handled; Dr. Bartlett said staff who work at multiple sites would receive multiple site‑specific badges. She confirmed that existing walkie‑talkies would remain available for two‑way voice communication but said the Centegix badges provide more reliable emergency alerting and location identification.
A board member described the purchase as "preventative" and said school resource officers had urged swift approval; the board voted 4–0 to approve the award.
The board directed staff to notify parents and staff about the rollout if the board’s approval was finalized that night.
