School bell systems are a critical operational system for virtually all K-12 schools. The ringing of bells during the school day signals the start of the day, class changes and the end of the day. They have been a functional aspect of a K-12 school day since the beginning of classroom education.
Time is the most important and precious element in educations. When schools lose teaching time due to operational efficiencies it has a direct effect on the quality of teaching. A bell system allows for precise starting times and ending times of the school day.
We offer a couple of options to match most schools’ need for the signaling of class changes. We have three option; a wireless bell option, a network-based option and the ability to play a bell tone over a pa speaker system.
The network-based bell controller is an excellent school bell solution if you have a wired Ethernet. The network bell controller has a LAN port that can be either PoE (Power over Ethernet) or simply Ethernet. If you do not have PoE switches and use a standard LAN Ethernet connection, then you would use the AC power adapter.
School Bell Scheduler
The school bell scheduler software which set the schedule is a simple program that allows you to schedule the events you want to occur. For example, you may want to create multiple school day schedules. One for the regular school day, one for teacher in-service day and one for two-hour delay schedule. You would then just activate the schedule you need for that day.
The schedule is downloaded from the software to the controller and your physical bells are wired to the bell controller relays. A relay is simply a switch that is turned on and off based on your schedule. The controller does not provide the power to the bells. The bells would have their own power source.
If your organization has several bells the controller can handle a load of 8 amp. Most bells only need milliamps of power to operate. Therefore, you can operate a large amount of bell with one controller. If your school has different zones or classes that operate on different schedules you can have different bell rung at a different time or zone. This can be very important when you have your all grade levels in one building.
The system will get its time from a reliable pre-loaded NTP internet server or from an internal NTP server. If you also have school clocks getting their time from the same source you will have a complete bell and clock synchronized system.
The system is very easy to install and does not require any ongoing expense to maintain. The scheduling aspect of the system is very user-friendly. You can have bells ring on a 7 day, 5 day or only certain days of the week. You can also schedule the bells to ring on a specific day.
The software also allows you to activate the bells manually. Therefore, if you had a special event at your school like an assembly and you wanted to have the bells rung in order to activate the event. All you need to do is to go into the software and turn the bells on and they will ring.
If you have any questions about our school bell systems please reach out to us by clicking on the quick quote button or by giving us a telephone call.
School Bell System FAQs
What are my options for a school bell system?
There are three. A wireless bell system, a network-based bell controller, or playing a bell tone through an existing PA speaker system. Which one fits depends mostly on the wiring already in the building, and we can help you work that out before you order.
Do I need PoE switches to use the network bell controller?
No. The controller has a LAN port that runs on either PoE (Power over Ethernet) or a standard Ethernet connection. If you do not have PoE switches, you simply use the included AC power adapter instead.
How many bells can a single controller operate?
The controller handles a load of up to 8 amps. Most bells draw only milliamps, so one controller can typically run a large number of bells across a building. The controller switches the bells through relays rather than powering them, so the bells keep their own power source.
Can different grade levels ring on different schedules?
Yes. Bells can be split into zones and rung at different times, which matters most when several grade levels share one building and change classes at different points in the day.
How do I handle two-hour delays and in-service days?
You build them ahead of time. The scheduler software lets you create as many day schedules as you need, such as a regular day, a teacher in-service day and a two-hour delay, and then activate whichever one applies that morning. Schedules can run seven days, five days, only certain weekdays, or on one specific date.
Where does the system get its time from?
From a reliable pre-loaded NTP internet server, or from an internal NTP server on your own network. If your school clocks pull time from that same source, the clocks and bells stay in step as one synchronized system.
Can we ring the bells manually for an assembly?
Yes. The software can trigger the bells on demand, so a special event such as an assembly can be signalled without changing the day’s schedule.