Students put cabling to the test - Deer Valley Unified School District, Arizona, uses the Wiremold Interlink Cabling System - Company Operations

Communications News, June, 1999

When the Deer Valley Unified School District north of Phoenix was organized in 1957, enrollment in its two schools totaled 91 students. But, over the last 40 years, the district has mirrored the population boom in Arizona's Valley of the Sun. Today, Deer Valley has nearly 25,000 students in 24 schools. "And we have new schools going up right now, and others that are being renovated," says Jeff Anderson, director of information services and technology.

The Wiremold Interlink Cabling System helps the Deer Valley district meet both the demand for more classroom space and the explosive growth of information technology. For example, Interlink patch panels satisfy the diverse requirements of a growing district where half the schools are single buildings and half are multibuilding campuses. Larger single buildings may contain multiple intermediate distribution frames with fiber to connect them. In campus settings, a main distribution frame in the library or media center is linked by fiber to the other buildings. All horizontal cabling is Category 5.

Classrooms typically have six Category 5 drops and two coaxial drops for two-way video. A computer lab may have 100 drops, of which approximately 35 are in use at any particular time. To manage this cabling density, Anderson specifies high-capacity Wiremold wire and cable management systems. "We've been using Wiremold 4000 Series metal raceway for a few years now. We like it because it installs easily, it's neat, and it's secure," he says.

The Deer Valley district has also begun to install Wiremold Walker RFB floor boxes in its new schools. "We like to have a combination of infloor and perimeter systems for added flexibility," Anderson explains. "Computer labs and media centers all have floor boxes. And, in most new classrooms, now we're putting in three floor boxes, in addition to the perimeter raceway."

For point-of-use connections, the Deer Valley schools have switched from conventional jacks to the Activate Connectivity System from The Wiremold Company. One feature of the Activate system that appeals to Anderson is a 45-degree angle fitting that affords an extra measure of protection. "A school setting is a little different from business where computers are usually located in workstations. We're always moving them around, and the 45-degree angle keeps the patch cord closer to the wall so it doesn't snag on things," he says.

Anderson also finds that the Activate system contributes to increased system reliability. "Our biggest thing is not being able to get the module out of the faceplate from the front. Some kids will pull them out on purpose or grab a patch cord and it'll pull the whole module out," he explains. "With the Interlink modules we're using, you can't get it out unless you unscrew the bezel and go from the inside. That's helped us out quite a bit in terms of making it more reliable."

The rapid growth of the Deer Valley Unified School District has put the Interlink Cabling System to the test. "We've been really pleased, "says Anderson. "The entire system is easily accessible, important in a fast-growing district where We have to meet some tight time constraints."

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