Overview
The Anoka-Hennepin School District is one of Minnesota’s largest public school systems, serving tens of thousands of students across dozens of elementary, middle, and high schools within multiple suburban communities north of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The district was formed in the mid-20th century through consolidation of many small rural schools to better serve the growing population, and today it continues to grow and evolve.
District Environment
- Enrollment: Approximately 36,500 students
- Schools: 34, K-12 with 58 buildings
- Geography: 172 square miles
Challenge
Anoka-Hennepin School District needed to simplify time synchronization across a wide range of facilities, from aging buildings with legacy infrastructure to newly constructed schools. The district was managing a mix of existing wired clock systems that were outdated and relied on varied timing protocols, creating complexity in maintenance and consistency. At the same time, they were looking for a solution that would provide modernization, introducing the advantages of wireless technology. The goal was to establish a flexible, reliable, and scalable time synchronization system that could adapt to the unique needs of each building while supporting a district-wide standard.
Requirements
- Maintain aging legacy secondary clocks that were still operational
- Correct inconsistent time for any buildings across campuses
- Provide flexibility during renovations and new construction
- Eliminate delays when replacing failed clocks
- Replace outdated system controllers requiring time-consuming keypad programming
Solution
Anoka-Hennepin School District selected American Time’s SiteSync IQ wireless clock system as its district-wide standard, revitalizing aging infrastructure while creating a consistent foundation for future installations. This standardization not only simplified system design across schools, but also streamlined purchasing, deployment, and maintenance processes.
A recent example of this enhancement strategy was implemented at Oak View Middle School. An aging Simplex 6400, Time Control Center was replaced with a SiteSync IQ controller in the same equipment location, seamlessly upgrading the technology without disrupting the facility’s infrastructure.
With the new controller installed, dependable RF wireless signal coverage is transmitted throughout the entire school while maintaining existing wired circuit capability, allowing the district to easily add, relocate, or expand clock coverage as building needs change or facilities grow in the future. A single SiteSync IQ controller can synchronize any number of wireless clocks within the school.
Whether serving a small, single-level building or a large, multi-floor, multi-building campus, wireless transmission is strategically selected to provide optimal signal strength and reliable performance.
Features
- Broad RF wireless communication coverage across buildings and campuses
- Central controller synchronizes both wireless clocks and existing wired clock circuits
- Support for multiple clock types, including:
- Battery-powered analog clocks
- 120VAC analog clocks
- Digital clocks with countdown functionality
Results & Outcomes
By standardizing on the SiteSync IQ wireless clock system, Anoka-Hennepin created a time synchronization strategy that works across the full spectrum of its facilities, from long-established buildings still operating older wired systems to brand-new construction designed for the wireless system from the start. As outdated wired clocks and controllers from systems such as Simplex and Lathem reach end of life, they’ve been replaced with SiteSync IQ or integrated into the wireless network, allowing the district to modernize without disruptive, full-scale replacements.
“As a larger school district, the flexibility of the SiteSync IQ allows me to replace old clocks with new wireless clocks easily and that is a huge time saver. Working with American Time over the years has been outstanding as far as their customer support and their sales team.”
Scott Eisenschenk, Buildings & Grounds Maintenance Specialist
This flexible deployment strategy allows each school to transition at its own pace. New schools are built with SiteSync IQ as the primary time system, while existing schools may opt to replace secondary clocks as needed. Schools can choose between electric-powered analog clocks where 120VAC is available for maintenance-free operation, or battery-operated analog clocks where placement flexibility and installation convenience are priorities.
Operationally, the district benefits from centralized control, familiar system management, and faster response to maintenance. Staff no longer have to drive to locations to make manual daylight saving time adjustments or perform complex schedule changes common with older equipment. Bell schedules remain integrated through PA systems, while digital clocks at Anoka High School use countdown features with multiple preset schedules to easily accommodate late starts, early dismissals, and special events.
Standardization also delivers practical inventory advantages. The district stocks battery-powered clocks branded with its logo, ready to be deployed in any of its schools and installed in any location without delay. This approach reduces downtime, simplifies maintenance, reinforces district identity, and ensures a consistent experience for staff and students across campuses.
Overall, the district has achieved more reliable and accurate timekeeping, reduced maintenance complexity and labor demands, and gained the flexibility to support renovations, expansions, and future construction—all while maintaining a consistent, easy-to-use system district-wide.
Wireless – Synchronized Time Made Simple
About American Time
For more than 45 years, American Time has delivered synchronized time and communication solutions to organizations across education, healthcare, government, manufacturing, and corporate environments. The SiteSync IQ product line reflects decades of experience providing reliable, easy-to-manage systems that keep facilities on time, informed, and connected across the country and around the world.