By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
New buildings may require new solutions for USD 428 Great Bend. The current phone system was installed approximately eight years ago. At Monday's board of education meeting, Assistant Superintendent John Popp introduced the idea of replacing that phone system. The question becomes spending fewer dollars on old technology that may soon need to be replaced, or spending more money to update the system.
"It came on fairly suddenly for us because it was looking at how do we provide phone service for everybody in the new building," Popp said. "It just didn't feel right to put money into the new phones that we may not use for very long."
The district currently spends approximately $3,000 a month for its phone service. Support options are limited if anything in the system fails to work. Popp said the district could purchase its own new hardware with a price tag between $500,000 and $1 million. Nex-Tech also offers a full-service plan.
"Spread over a 96-month term, this would be $6,600 a month," said Popp. "That is every phone, every place, in every building completely done. Over the term of the 96 months, that's roughly $650,000, which would be an initial investment right up front if we were doing it ourselves. At the end of 96 months, if we have all the hardware then we can decide if we want to keep moving forward with what we have."
The district would also have to pay some $70,000 to remove hardware associated with the old system. Popp said the new system would come with several upgrades, including an app teachers could use to call parents from their own phones without revealing personal information, and the ability to better transfer calls across the district.
Board Vice President Aaron Emerson asked about non-landline options, and Board Member Deanna Essmiller asked if anyone other than Nex-Tech had been approached. Monday's discussion was only informational. The board could vote on a new phone system as soon as the next meeting in November.