The Northwest R-1 School District will spend $511,412.54 for a new phone system and for other technology upgrades to improve internet connectivity.

In separate votes, the Northwest Board of Education voted 5-0 Feb. 15 to spend $347,744.54 to get new phones and cloud services installed districtwide and another $163,668 to replace all the district’s switches – devices needed to connect to the internet.

The new phone communications system will be paid for with funds from Proposition S, a $28 million bond issue voters approved in April 2023.

According to district documents, 60 percent, or $98,200.80, of the cost to replace the switches will be reimbursed through the federal E-Rate program, and the district will cover the other 40 percent, $65,467.20, out of its technology budget.

New phone system

“I’m hoping the new (phone) system will increase reliability,” said Zack Pizzullo, the district’s director of technology. “Personally, for my technology staff, this will help with ease of management so they spend less time having to manage or modify the current phone system. We’re trying to increase communication and methods of communication between staff members and also with the community.”

Pizzullo said the current phone system has become end-of-life, meaning there are no more updates available.

In 2026, the company operating the system, Mitel MiVoice Office 250, will stop offering technical support, he said.

Communications Technologies Inc. in Chesterfield will provide and install new handsets across the district, and the district will use Zultys to provide cloud storage services.

Pizzullo said the phone system will be installed this summer.

“In our process of looking for vendors or identifying features, we knew we wanted to be cloud-based,” he said. “We wanted to have the ability to send voicemails to a user’s e-mail, for example. Right now, (staff members) have to log in to their handset to access their voicemail.”

Pizzullo said the new service allows staff members to download an app to their cell phone to access their district phone number. Through the app, staff members will be able to make calls using their work phone numbers.

“(A staff member) told me that they really liked the mobile app because they travel around the schools a lot and when they have to call a parent, rather than having to wait to get a hold of them when they get back to their desk, they can call them from their cell phone,” Pizzullo said. “We’re trying to speed up that communication with the app.”

Switch replacements

All the district’s 115 switches will be replaced over the next few years, Pizzullo said.

He said the switches, like other pieces of technology, need to be refreshed to maintain optimal internet and connectivity speeds.

“Switches are the backbone of a school’s network, and all of your devices connect to it,” he said. “Besides electricity and maybe HVAC, network infrastructure is probably your most important utility because everything runs on it these days – our HVAC systems are controlled with it, and our door locks are controlled with it.”

Pizzullo said the E-Rate funding for the switches is determined by how many district students qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. Because 60 percent of Northwest students qualify for reduced-price lunches, Pizzullo said 60 percent of the cost of the switches is being reimbursed.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, E-Rate is a program designed to make internet connectivity and telecommunication services more affordable for schools and libraries.

The district will use switches provided for and installed by WJR Technologies in Fenton to complete the project, according to district documents.

Pizzullo estimates the district’s switches will be fully replaced by 2027.

He said the replacement will be done during non-instructional periods because installing new switches will cause brief network outages.