Customer Spotlight

Ankeny Community School District

TECHNOLOGIES: Critical Communications

Background

Ankeny Community School District is the 10th largest school district in Iowa. It encompasses 11 school buildings and has an enrollment of more than 8,600 students. It’s located in Polk County, IA, and employs more than 1,100. The school district strives for a culture that’s based on achievement and responsiveness, innovation and professionalism, and leadership and unity.

Customer Needs

Ankeny Community School District was constructing two new buildings: a 270,000-square-foot high school (Ankeny High School) and a 114,000-square-foot middle school (Ankeny Southview). The district needed intercoms, speakers, and sound systems in the gyms, theaters, student commons areas, and classrooms and hallways of both of these buildings.

Solution

CEC provided pro sound systems, wireless microphones, speakers, and intercoms for Ankeny Community School District’s new high school and middle school. After partnering with CEC, the district has:

  • Improved noise levels in the high school’s student commons area, where 650 students gather at a time to eat lunch. By connecting an iPod to the sound system, staff members actually reduced the decibel level in the commons area because students talk quietly to hear the music.
  • A way to clearly communicate alerts and messages to students and staff throughout hallways and classrooms.
  • Sound systems in four gymnasiums that allow for audible announcements and introductions during sporting events. The district has received many positive comments from spectators who say they can easily understand the announcers. These sound systems are also used by PE teachers to play music during gym classes. 
  • Wireless microphone systems in the student commons area and gymnasiums, which are used by teachers to communicate with students despite elevated noise levels.
  • A space that can be used for teacher in-service days. The high school’s student commons area is equipped with a large screen and a projector; with the sound system in place, everyone in the room can hear the presenter no matter if he/she is looking at the audience or the screen

"CEC has been very willing to provide additional training and show us how to use our sound systems (even though they've already showed us before). That's worth a lot. It's not, 'Hope you enjoy your new sound system. We're gone.' It was follow-through, from the original bid to installation to instruction to re-instruction."

Don Peterson Director of Facility Construction and Development, Ankeny Community School District
Back to Top