Transforming Charter School Education with Reliable IT Solutions

Academy of Health Sciences: Stabilizing IT & Phones in Under a Month

Discover how Entre revolutionized the Academy of Health Sciences’ IT and phone systems, ensuring seamless operations in under a month.

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Rapid Implementation

Our team swiftly addressed the Academy’s IT needs, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.

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Tailored Solutions

We provided customized IT and phone solutions that perfectly aligned with the Academy’s unique requirements.

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Proven Results

Experience the tangible benefits of our solutions, from enhanced communication to improved system reliability.

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Empowering Future Health Professionals

At the Academy of Health Sciences, education transcends traditional boundaries as students embark on a transformative journey where every lesson is interwoven with the principles of health and wellness. By exploring real-world challenges and innovative solutions, students not only master academic fundamentals but also cultivate empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking skills essential for future leaders in health care. This holistic approach ignites a passion for service and equips AHS graduates with the confidence and knowledge to navigate their chosen paths, ensuring they are ready to contribute meaningfully to the health and well-being of their communities.

Outdated Infrastructure

Before partnering with Entre, the Academy faced significant challenges with outdated IT infrastructure that hindered daily operations and communication.

Communication Barriers

Frequent phone system failures disrupted communication between departments, affecting the Academy’s ability to coordinate effectively.

Limited IT Support

With limited internal IT support, the Academy struggled to maintain system reliability, leading to frequent downtimes and frustration among staff and students.

Comprehensive IT and Phone System Solutions

Entre implemented a robust strategy to overhaul the Academy of Health Sciences’ IT infrastructure. Our team conducted a thorough assessment to identify key areas of improvement, focusing on enhancing network reliability and security. We upgraded the existing systems with state-of-the-art technology, ensuring seamless integration with the Academy’s operations.

In addition to IT enhancements, we addressed the phone system challenges by deploying a scalable VoIP solution. This new setup not only improved communication efficiency but also provided the flexibility needed to accommodate future growth. Our dedicated support ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption to daily activities.

Remarkable Improvements and Outcomes

At-a-Glance

Client: Academy of Health Sciences (Rochester, NY)
Type: Public charter school, grades 5–8 (~400 students, ~50+ staff)
Services: Managed IT (endpoints, patching, printers), Unified Communications (cloud phones, call flows, user changes), monthly success reviews
Timeline: Migration and go-live < 1 month before school start
Highlights: Single point of contact, predictable billing, reliable phones/PA workflow, documented processes & notes for faster tickets

“I’d put Entre at the top of the list. I’ve been very impressed with their service and being able to get a hold of somebody. We don’t plan on going anywhere as long as service stays like this.”
— Darin Tyson
Chief Administrative Officer, Academy of Health Sciences

The Situation

Academy of Health Sciences had cycled through multiple IT providers since its founding. By spring–summer 2025, problems were stacking up:

Unpredictable, “law-firm style” billing: variable charges for short calls created budgeting headaches.
No single point of contact: tickets lingered and context got lost.
Everyday reliability issues: laptops struggled to connect to printers and Wi-Fi.
Phone/PA failures: during a real lockdown, several classrooms never received the alert.
Support gaps with prior phone vendor: couldn’t reach help, poor visibility (even on basics like the main number or active phones).
Transition resistance: when the school decided to change providers, the outgoing IT team slowed handoffs—and tried to bill the school for talking to the new team.

School was less than a month away. The new CAO (Darin Tyson) needed a confident reset, fast.

Why Entre

Darin’s decision centered on relationship, responsiveness, and locality:

Monthly success reviews with a dedicated Entre Account Executive creates accountability and proactive planning.
Local, on-site support to understand the building and constraints.
A partner mindset: “Not just selling a product.” Solutions were matched to the way the school actually works.

“Complacency gets most companies in trouble. If we communicate and there’s an issue, and you’re working on it, I’m good. Entre wasn’t complacent.”
— Darin Tyson

The Solution

Compressed transition (under a month):

Entre coordinated with the outgoing provider, pressed through access hurdles, and staged dozens of staff laptops on site.
Engineers put in long hours to standardize builds, patching, and printer mappings, reducing the ‘it works on one device but not another’ problem.
For phones, Entre implemented a cloud telephony platform with a call tree that routes families and staff to the right place quickly.
One service desk for both computers and phones reduced finger-pointing and saved time.

Train-the-staff approach:

A cafeteria onboarding session guided teachers step-by-step to install the phone app, set up voicemail, and understand call flows.
SMS-from-app (no personal numbers) was enabled; usage will be reviewed in future success meetings.

Documentation that sticks:

Entre captured site preferences (e.g., local admin rights for staff), so subsequent tickets move faster without re-explaining decisions.
Notes are written in engineer-friendly language and visible to the next technician for continuity.

Safety communications (near-term & roadmap):

Interim: phones and PA are coordinated via a two-line workflow.
Roadmap: unify PA + phones for single-line activation; add remote camera viewing for leadership.

Results

1) Reliability and flow improved

Teachers and staff are experiencing stable printer connectivity and fewer Wi-Fi issues—thanks to consistent patching and standardized setups.
The call tree helps families reach the right person faster; leadership can see and shape the experience.

2) One partner, predictable experience

Single point of contact and monthly check-ins keep tickets moving and priorities clear.
No more surprise invoices for five-minute calls; leadership can budget with confidence.

3) Faster tickets, less rework

With documented site preferences, new-user setups and device changes no longer require repeating the same instructions.

“It’s better to be transparent. Entre updated the notes, and when I talked to another engineer later, he already knew our setup. No backtracking.”
— Darin Tyson

4) Culture fit: personable, professional, present

Darin Tyson referred to Entre’s teams as, “Good people who connect.” When a specialist wasn’t the right fit for one task, the team adjusted quickly and kept things moving.

5) Safety confidence is trending up

While the unified PA/phone trigger is on the roadmap, the interim configuration works—and the team has a plan to reach the ideal end state.

What Changed: Before & After

BEFORE	AFTER
Many vendors & unclear ownership	One accountable partner for both IT and phones.
Law-firm style billing	Clear, predictable managed services with visibility.
Printer/Wi-Fi drama	Standardized images, patching, and mappings that just work.
No call flow	Call tree with purposeful routing.
Support black box	Documented preferences + monthly reviews that drive continuous improvement.

Lessons for School Leaders

Insist on a single point of contact. One service desk for IT + phones reduces delays and “not our problem” loops.
Make documentation non-negotiable. Write down decisions (e.g., local admin rights). The next ticket moves twice as fast.
Train once, reinforce often. Short, step-by-step app onboarding in a single session saves hours later.
Roadmaps matter. Interim fixes (split PA/phone lines) are fine if you’re marching toward a unified, safer design.

What’s Next

Unify PA + phones to trigger building-wide alerts from a single action.
Enable remote camera viewing for leadership.
Usage insights on SMS and app calling to strengthen parent communication and PD.

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