New PA System, School

Request for Proposal (RFP) for Public Address (PA) System at Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence (MLK JR).

The PA system is dated and unreliable. Many speakers are not working. We are seeking to replace the PA system throughout the entire campus location.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence invites vendors to submit proposals in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal (RFP). Responses from all prospective vendors should address pricing, service descriptions, and warranties included.

The PA system will be used for general announcements, emergency announcements, and bells. Two-way communication is preferred.

Requirements for all school locations

• New wiring and speakers/horn at the locations specified in the appendix
• New strobe lights next to the speakers at locations specified in the appendix
• Disposal of existing equipment
• The ability to define and save different bell times (full days, half days, late arrival days, etc.)
• The ability to broadcast announcements from any phone in the building (with an access code) or from a cell phone, including remotely.
• The ability to send announcements or bells to either internal speakers, external speakers, or both
• The ability to add speakers in the future should the school expand into adjacent, unfinished areas of the building.

The district currently uses a Zoom VoIP system. The new PA systems need to be flexible, so they work with our current system or a different VoIP system if the school changes in the future.

Technical Information

• Ceilings are classified as drop-ceilings (acoustic tile). The mounting heights are approximately 11 feet.
• The vendor is required to supply their own Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches for the new speakers, in addition to installing entirely new home-run cabling.
• The building exterior made of Brick (for outside horns)
• Rack Space: There is adequate 'U' space available in the existing server rack located in Room 59 for the new equipment.
• Desired zones include: Gym, Cafeteria, Playground, Unfinished area and Main Office.
• After the removal of the old speakers, there will be holes or areas with discolored paint. Vendor is responsible for patching holes; School is responsible for final touch-up paint.
• System should offer both a mobile app and a web-based interface.
• UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Required.

Project Delivery

The winning bidder will provide two (2) hours of user training and two (2) hours of maintenance/troubleshooting training.

We require the new paging system and speakers to be delivered, installed, and fully functioning by **July 30, 2027**.

Submission

Sealed bids must be delivered no later than **4:00 PM on Monday, December 7, 2026**, to: Martin Luther King, Jr Charter School of Excellence, ATTN: John Breish, Director of Operations, 285 Dorset Avenue, Springfield, MA 01108.

Please deliver one hard copy (paper) of the proposal in a sealed package clearly marked with MLKJR CS PA System Sealed Bid by the deadline previously stated. An email copy must be sent to Melissa Garber @ melissa@garbercg.com.

Evaluation

Selection will be based upon technical quality, project management, costs, and system features.

Bonds

The Contractor will be required to secure and post a Labor and Material Payment Bond and a Performance Bond, each in the amount of 100% of the Contract Sum including bonding for all subcontractors.

Other

Each bid proposal must be accompanied by a sworn and notarized statement disclosing any familial relationship [...]. The pricing of all parts and labor must be valid for twelve (12) months from the date the bid is received by the district.

A **mandatory** pre-bid meeting will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026 @ 10 AM.