CHANGE OVER TO
754 AREA CODE COMPLETE

Back on June 19, 2003, the district began the monumental task of converting all its 954 telephone numbers to the new 754 area code - approximately 22,000 numbers!   The project was undertaken for two important reasons -- the District was quickly running out of 954 numbers and needed a cohesive numbering plan with room for future growth, and the change would save the District more than $1 million dollars a year on its telephone utility costs. The District moved forward converting sites at a rate of 2-4 locations per week beginning with Cross Creek School and ending with Sunset School.

Florida's historic hurricane season resulted in a need for BellSouth's resources to be re-distributed to our neighbors to the north.   So the project, originally scheduled for completion in 18 months, was extended an additional 3 weeks. On January 21, 2005 the project was completed.

The ETS Department would like to thank everyone that was involved in this project within the District as well as our BellSouth partners for their dedication towards keeping the project on schedule.  There were many steps involved in this project, the most important of which, was the communication and cooperation of all the sites that were converted.  It couldn't have been done it without everyone's help.  ETS and BellSouth have worked very hard to make this project as seamless as possible for the employees and parents in the district.

For further information, please visit: (www.broward.k12.fl.us/ets/phones)   or the "Phone Number Changes" conference in CAB's District Announcements.

Listed below are some new procedures to follow and important information to know about the new 754 area code.

1.  Update your phone number information
Be sure to have your site-based designee update the individual staff numbers in the phone directory on the web (Intranet) with the new 754 numbers.

    2.  Update your ESS information
Be sure to update your Employee Self-Service (ESS) information on the Intranet with your new 754 phone number

3.  Update your signatures
Your email has an option of adding pre-defined signatures.  If you include your telephone number in your signature, be sure it's your new 754 number

4.  Update any Documentation Forms
Many of us use forms... FAX, memos, letterheads, business cards, etc.  Be sure to update these with your new 754 phone numbers.

5.  Inform your contacts
If your old 954 phone number IS currently listed in the BellSouth white pages, callers who dial that number WILL be referred to your new 754 number.   Callers will continue to be referred to the new number for a one-year-period, beginning with the date your site was converted.

If your old number was NOT listed in the BellSouth white pages, callers will NOT be referred to your new number.  Contact departments, schools, and individuals to inform them of your new phone number. 

6.  FAX Machines
The Station ID in each FAX machine will need to be re-programmed with the new 754 number.  Refer to the FAX machine's owner's manual for instructions.

7.  Dialing 7 Digits
Your site can now dial 7 digits to other School Board sites.

When dialing outside the SBBC network, you will have to dial all 10 digits.

8.   SUNCOM Dialing
*87 and *88 service to Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties has been discontinued.  Usage did not justify the cost.

9.   Long Distance Dialing:
The District's primary long-distance carrier is now BellSouth, which is less expensive than SUNCOM. 

To place a long-distance call - 
Dial: Outdial or 9 (or Outdial and 9 depending on your phone's set-up), 1, area code, phone number.

10.     Because the District has converted to 754, locations in north Broward are no longer able to place local (free) calls to South Palm Beach County.  Locations in South Broward are no longer able to place local (free) calls to North Miami-Dade County.  Locations in the areas affected may request that 561 or 305/786 access be given to their toll-restricted phones.  Calls will be billed ($0.06/min) and a "1" will need to be dialed before the phone number.

11.  One advantage of the new system is that all calls made within Broward County - whether school to school or school to business/private residence are all considered local calls with no toll charges.

Did you know?
The district purchased 30,000 telephone numbers - all in the 754 area code.
* 10,000 in the 321 exchange - ALL administrative sites through the county
* 10,000 in the 322 exchange - ALL schools NORTH of Broward Boulevard
* 10,000 in the 323 exchange - ALL schools SOUTH of Broward Boulevard

Of those 30,000 numbers:
* Just over 21,000 numbers are actually being used - leaving 9,000 numbers for future growth.
* Just under 1,000 are being used for modems
* Just over 300 numbers are currently reserved for video conferencing.
* Just over 1,200 numbers are for FAX machines

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Correction

Due to inaccurate information provided to the 411, we incorrectly identified the first Broward Public School teachers to achieve National Board Certification. In fact, Rona Wolfson, a fifth-grade teacher at Central Park Elementary School in Plantation, holds the distinction of becoming the first Nationally Board Certified teacher in Broward County and Florida, as well. She earned that distinction in 1994, was recertified last year and has been a District employee since 1974.