Introduction

The Foundation Schools is a nonprofit special education school serving vulnerable students with mental health and academic challenges. Their curriculum adheres to Maryland College and Career-Ready Standard and is tailored to each student’s learning needs. From kindergarten through high school, they cover the entire educational journey. Additionally, they offer a 12-month Autism Program and supportive services to focus on the needs of those individuals. The Foundation Schools operates multiple campuses, including a newly opened third school in 2019, highlighting an immediate need for a unified communication solution across all locations. Prior to working with ACC Telecom, The Foundation Schools operated with different phone systems across its campuses. Once they opened their third campus, communication and technology management inefficiencies became apparent. They needed a partner with experience in schools to integrate all campuses under a cloud-based system to streamline communications. Beyond the phone system, they required a video surveillance and public announcement system that enhanced campus safety and operations.

Problem/Challenge:

The management of separate systems across various locations wasn’t something The Foundation Schools was looking to do long-term. The search was on for a system and provider that would meet the school’s needs.

Outdated on-premise phone systems across multiple campuses created inefficiencies.
Lack of a unified communication system across their campuses.
Advanced video surveillance and public announcement systems were needed to improve safety and operational efficiency.
Crucially, in an environment that catered to students with special needs, disruptions in communication were a significant issue and needed to be reduced.

The challenge was clear: Simplify the communication infrastructure and integrate advanced video surveillance and public announcement systems for three campuses in Maryland.