The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

March 18, 2010

Mankato Schools to update phone system

New system saving money now and in future

By Tanner Kent Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Fortuitous circumstances are leading to a new phone system, and some budget savings, for Mankato Area Public Schools.

With the construction of Rosa Parks Elementary as well as the remodeling of Eagle Lake Elementary, the district budgeted $500,000 to install or replace phone systems at both schools with an Internet-based phone system.

In January, the district called for bids on the project. And this month, they were surprised to find that HickoryTech could not only complete the project at Rosa Parks and Eagle Lake, but throughout the whole district — and for a cost of only $373,610 over five years, which was substantially under budget.

Mike Olsen, director of sales for HickoryTech, said the Mankato-based company was able to provide a lower bid partly because of its recently inked contract with SOCRATES, a telecommunications consortium of southern Minnesota schools and a variety of public agencies.

Through the agreement with SOCRATES, Olsen said HickoryTech was able to offer their own service to Mankato schools — as opposed to the district purchasing the service for itself and then having to purchase and pay for its own equipment and technical specialists.

The agreement means Mankato schools will receive HickoryTech equipment and have access to its 24-hour technical support. It also means the district saved hundreds of thousands of dollars — perhaps as much as 75 percent on the cost of a district-wide installation, said business manager Jerry Kolander — through state and federal funds that can be leveraged through cooperatives like SOCRATES to reduce costs.

“The out-of-pocket cost to the school district is significantly less,” Olsen said.

Olsen said the project for Mankato schools will include an Internet-based phone system at 20 sites, with more than 1,250 phones. The installation will begin this summer and should finish up before the 2010-11 school year begins.

The new phone system, which is technically called “voice-over-Internet-Protocol,” allows the integration of phone and computer networks. Users can check voicemail through e-mail, host video conversations and the system allows more than one phone call over a single broadband connection without the need of additional lines.

Kolander said the new phone system will also save costs on phone bills. He said the district has been budgeting about $90,000 per year on phone costs, which will be largely unneeded with new system.

“It’s very nice,” Kolander said. “It’s something that will be with us a long time.”

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