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Board weighs wearable/wireless panic-alert systems after new state law; staff to cost options for large campus
Summary
Following a state law requiring panic-alert systems in K–12 buildings with 50+ students, the board discussed current room-to-office panic buttons, wireless or wearable options, and constraints (spotty wireless/cell coverage on some campuses and extensive campus access points). Staff will research costs for a high-school pilot and report back.
The board discussed a new state requirement for wireless or wearable panic-alert systems in K–12 schools with 50 or more students.
Staff explained the district's current approach: classrooms have buttons that alert the main office, and the office has systems to contact 911. Those existing systems do not directly transmit to law enforcement from every classroom. Board members asked whether the new requirement would mandate wearable devices carried by staff or rely on phone apps and badge-based buttons.
Facilities and technology staff warned that option costs vary widely and that many buildings have limited wireless / cellular coverage in parts of campus, which complicates phone-app or cloud-based solutions. The Marshfield High School campus was identified as the most challenging because of its multiple access doors and distributed buildings; retrofitting that campus for single-point secure entry or full wireless coverage would be expensive. Staff proposed to gather pricing and technical feasibility for a pilot focused on the Marshfield campus and return with options that balance coverage, reliability, and cost. No purchase was authorized at the meeting.
