NCSD approves audio upgrades

Members of the Newton Community School District Board heard the message loud and clear Monday during its regular board meeting when they approved a $188,000 purchase to upgrade the aging sound system in the school’s auditorium and gymnasium. The project will also include installing a new sound system at the district’s new softball field, scheduled to open this spring.

NCSD Superintendent Bob Callaghan said the district’s existing audio equipment in the gymnasium and the auditorium was badly outdated and in need of replacement.

According to Callaghan, the high school’s gymnasium was built in 1977, and the auditorium was constructed in 1983, and both are in need of updates. The proposed audio upgrades have long been a part of the district’s 10-year plan, and Callaghan said a recent survey showing the roof at the high school in better shape than expected means the district can consider moving up the plans a year, replacing the audio equipment in fiscal year 2018 instead of waiting until fiscal year 2019. The 10-year plan is intended to remain flexible Callaghan said, to give the district the ability to move funds around as needed. When an air conditioning unit at Thomas Jefferson Elementary failed in 2017 the district considered pushing back the plans to upgrade the audio equipment at the high school but ultimately decided to move forward with the project.

“It’s an ebb and flow as things come and go,” Callaghan said.

Only one bid for the project was submitted to the district, although Callaghan noted the district did receive a bid after the deadline had passed that wasn’t considered. The winning bid was from Communication Innovators, located in Pleasant Hill. Callaghan told the board he wasn’t concerned that the district only received a single bid, he told board members on Monday night the district had budgeted $250,000 for the project, at $188,000 the bid from Communication Innovators was substantially lower than what the district had projected.

“$250,000 was our mark, and now we’re getting the gym, the auditorium, and the softball field for $188,000,” Callaghan said.

Doug Meyer, an account executive for Communication Innovators was present at Monday night’s meeting to answer questions from board members about the proposed changes. Meyer told board members the new system would require fewer speakers overall and would be simpler to use than the previous system. The new speakers are manufactured by Worx Audio, a brand Meyer said his firm has used often.

“It’s a substantial upgrade from what is in the gym currently,” Meyer said. “Your average Joe couldn’t walk in and utilize that equipment.”

Installing the new equipment will take nearly five weeks Meyer said, with most of the work being done by a technician working at night to prevent any disruptions in the learning environment. As soon as he receives a signed purchase order from the district, Meyer said Communication Innovators plans to order the new equipment, which they would tentatively start installing in mid-February. Part of the installation package includes having an audio engineer from Worx Audio visit the school to fine-tune the system for optimal sound quality after everything has been installed.

NCSD board president Travis Padget said he’s looking forward to seeing the new equipment installed at the high school. Having only a single bid for the project isn’t a concern, Padget said, because the company didn’t know they’d be the only bidder when they placed their bid.

“I’m not too concerned, it was under the amount we expected to spend,” Padget said. “The assumption was that they’d be competitive anyways.”

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com