FYI: From the school district…

Hendrick Hudson is improving the way to “reach out and touch someone” with the installation in July of a new state-of-the art telephone system throughout the district.The conversion will mean all new telephone numbers and new telephones in most of the schools. The telephone upgrade is funded by savings accrued from a switch from Verizon to Lightpath for Internet and voice service. This project was not included in the June 18 bond referendum.

The new system will cost about $165,000 to install and pay for itself over the first five years. After payment of the lease in the first five years, the system will save the district about $40,000 annually over current telephone and Internet costs. The company installing the system is ITC of Newburgh, N.Y.

The new unified district-wide system will feature call waiting, caller ID, conference calling and unified messaging. Teacher voice mail will be enabled this fall. Telephones will be added in each school common area from which teachers can access their voicemail. In addition, teachers will be able to mange their voice mail box from their email software.

The tentative schedule for the switchover of key facilities is as follows, with the new numbers in parentheses:
July 7 — Hendrick Hudson District Office (257-5100)
July 8 — Buchanan-Verplanck and Frank G. Lindsey schools (257-5400 and 257-5500)
July 9 — Blue Mountain Middle School (257-5700)
July 10— The Furnace Woods School (257-5600)
July 11— Hendrick Hudson High School (257-5800)
July 14— The bus garage (257-5206)
Other new key telephone numbers include: Transportation, 257-5202; Special Education, 257-5145; Athletics, 257-5182.
During the switchover period, callers who try to reach an old district number and cannot get through, should try the new numbers listed above.
The Hendrick Hudson website www.henhudschools.org will be updated often with status reports and the complete new phone listing, which will be posted as soon as it is finalized.
For more information, please contact Technology Director Mathew Swerdloff at
914-737-7356 (new number after the switchover, 257-5170) or mswerdloff@henhudschools.org