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Austintown adds digital signs to let motorists know about district events, awards
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
Austintown schools have installed two digital signs on two of the main thoroughfares to the school complex, to inform the public of district events and student honors.
Tom Ventresco, school- district technology coordinator, said the signs have about 10 slides, from just text to a graphic of an American flag flowing in the wind. Each slide lasts about 10 seconds. He explained that the district discussed these monument signs when talks about building a new middle school began years ago,
“We wanted to improve the signage on campus since we built the new Austintown Middle School. We just didn’t have the money to do this when we built AMS. So, the plan to do better signage on campus goes all the way back to ... 2004, 2005,” Ventresco explained.
The 10 slides vary from events on campus, student honors and moving graphics and are well-lit at night, with the lettering lighting up when the sun goes down. Ventresco said there hasn’t been anything related to athletics on the signs yet, but in the works is playoff-ticket information for Austintown Fitch’s Friday game versus Wadsworth. Fitch is making its eighth playoff appearance.
District Treasurer Mary Ann Herschel said the work was done by Akron-based Ellet Sign Co. Officials from Ellet said the project cost about $54,000 with the electric work needed to set up the antennas as well as the signs themselves. Those funds came from the building project to build the new schools through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
The signs work through radio signals back to the school, so the sign on Idaho Road links up to an antenna on top of Austintown Intermediate School. The school district has been dealing with issues setting up an antenna for the Raccoon Road sign but is working with the public library to use its rooftop for that sign. Ventresco said in exchange for setting up the antenna, that sign will feature events for the library among district news.
Superintendent Vincent Colaluca said he has heard from families and staff about the signs. “I’ve already heard that they think it’s wonderful and a great way to really finalize the campus,” Colaluca said. He said alumni have told him, “‘Wow! It looks like a mini college now,’ and it’s great that Austintown kids have a great campus.”
Austintown Community Television will operate the sign. Ventresco explained that in the beginning, workers will handle it, but eventually there will be student involvement.
“I’d love kids to [make their own graphics]. I’d love students to be able to make that type of content. I don’t think that’s a this-year thing, maybe the second half” or next year, Ventresco said.
For now, the goal is to finalize the sign on Raccoon Road and have that fully operational. Ventresco said the library is waiting for a quote on the antenna installation. Also, the district is going to set up a system for submitting content for the sign, besides things already on the schedule. There can be remote setup for things such as a snow-day announcement.