Trustees discuss phone issues; district officials working on the fix

“Lecturers ought to carry their cell telephones of their pockets with them. They don’t have any manner of getting in contact with the workplace. A number of weeks in the past the web was down, so their telephone programs had 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 don’t have any manner of getting in contact with the workplace,” O’Quinn stated. “It is a harmful state of affairs.”

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

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

“One of many issues is that we have to do extra testing earlier than we truly implement it,” stated Eric Ham, OCSD’s chief expertise officer. “We have now had optimistic suggestions from academics.

Within the meantime, Ham stated academics have been briefed on protocols to observe within the occasion of an emergency within the classroom.

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

Ham stated many colleges even have public tackle programs in school rooms that can be used to name workplace employees.

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

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

Foster defined that below the consolidation, the district needed to implement a unified telephone system. He famous that earlier than consolidation, every district had a unique phone system.

“I do know it,” Carson stated. “My query is straightforward: why will 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 telephone, nevertheless it’s completely different from what they normally have. They’ve entry to a phone. It is only a completely different conduit.

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

“We are going to proceed to work on these protocols and replace issues as rapidly as potential,” 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 superb. He additionally famous that if a caller has hassle connecting to the neighborhood, they will dial “0” and get the operator, who will deal with the decision switch.

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

“In case you may inform me the place it is going, I can attempt to see what’s unsuitable,” Ham stated.

“Just about each faculty,” Carson stated.

“We’ll test it out,” Ham stated.

Administrator Peggy James-Tyler stated she has heard issues that the general public tackle system can not goal a direct classroom, however communications by means 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 won’t 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.