Trustees discuss phone issues; district officials working on the fix

“Lecturers ought to carry their cell telephones of their pockets with them. They haven’t any manner of getting in contact with the workplace. A number of weeks in the past the web was down, so their cellphone programs have been down,” administrator Dr William O’Quinn stated final week.

“If there is a substitute instructor in there who does not have entry to a pc, they haven’t any manner of getting in contact with the workplace,” O’Quinn stated. “It is a harmful state of affairs.”

The administrators mentioned the difficulty final week on the common board assembly.

OCSD Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster stated the district is testing a program with a cellphone adapter designed to enhance the state of affairs. The district is awaiting suggestions from lecturers earlier than making a purchase order.

“One of many considerations is that we have to do extra testing earlier than we truly implement it,” stated Eric Ham, OCSD’s chief expertise officer. “We’ve got had constructive suggestions from lecturers.

Within the meantime, Ham stated lecturers have been briefed on protocols to comply with within the occasion of an emergency within the classroom.

“We’ve got school rooms that by no means had telephones anyway, so these protocols are those we’d use,” Ham stated. “They might contact the workplace that manner till all of the lecturers had a method to talk again instantly.”

Ham stated many colleges even have public tackle programs in school rooms that may also be used to name workplace workers.

“We’re additionally all of those programs to allow them to talk backwards and forwards with the varsity,” Ham stated.

Administrator Idella Carson requested Foster, “Are we demoting, transferring away from the telephones within the classroom?”

Foster defined that beneath the consolidation, the district needed to implement a unified cellphone system. He famous that earlier than consolidation, every district had a distinct phone system.

“I do know it,” Carson stated. “My query is straightforward: why can we do away with telephones…on the wall or on the desk?

“We do not truly do away with telephones,” Foster stated. “They’ve entry to the cellphone, nevertheless it’s completely different from what they often have. They’ve entry to a phone. It is only a completely different conduit.

Foster stated there are points within the cellphone system that the district is working to resolve.

“We are going to proceed to work on these protocols and replace issues as shortly as attainable,” Foster stated. “As quickly as we obtain the suggestions and the suitable channel and obtain the provides, we are going to proceed to maneuver ahead on this regard.”

Carson additionally famous that exterior calls to the district could also be interrupted.

Ham stated the district has examined the system and located it really works tremendous. He additionally famous that if a caller has hassle connecting to the neighborhood, they’ll dial “0” and get the operator, who will handle the decision switch.

“Whenever you try this, your name is dropped,” Carson stated.

“For those who may inform me the place it is going, I can attempt to see what’s mistaken,” Ham stated.

“Just about each college,” Carson stated.

“We’ll test it out,” Ham stated.

Administrator Peggy James-Tyler stated she has heard considerations that the general public tackle system can not goal a direct classroom, however communications by way of the system are broadcast all through the varsity.

“We’re nonetheless engaged on the sound system which was in all probability outdated about 20 years in the past,” Ham stated. “Among the elements we will not get.”

Ham stated the district was contemplating a brand new system, however the price of changing the general public tackle system at six faculties alone is $1.5 million.

Foster stated the district is seeking to apply for grants from the USA Division of Agriculture to assist pay for the improve.