New phone system among the changes at Fort Plain

   Staff will discover an updated communication system when they return to school on Sept. 6. The upgrade is one of several improvements made over the summer using funds remaining from Fort Plain’s recent $17.2 million capital project.

MAC Source Communications installed a new integrated data phone system, which Superintendent Douglas C. Burton said features “the latest technology,” where staff can forward email to their phones or route calls directly to their cell phones.

For outside callers, the district’s main number (518-993-4000) will remain the same, but all extensions have changed.

“We had a very antiquated system and each building had its own separate phone system. We greatly needed to upgrade,” Mr. Burton said.

Mr. Burton said the phone system needed to be updated for a number of reasons. The district could not connect directly with 911 from each building (both buildings’ address is 25 High Street) and the staff was not able to reach all areas of the buildings with one calling method (there had to be repeated messages for each issue daily).

The district also installed a new public address system that can broadcast to different areas in both schools. Mr. Burton said announcements will no longer have to be made twice during the day and they will not be heard outside the buildings.

And in November, district officials expect to install six new energy efficient doors in at Harry Hoag Elementary School.

“The district carefully watched expenses throughout the project,” Mr. Burton said.