How Mount Saint Charles Academy Unified Their School Phone System

A reliable school phone system needs to do more than connect calls, it needs to keep faculty, staff, students, and families connected across every building on campus, especially when it matters most. That was the challenge Rhode Island Telephone helped solve for Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI.

Rhode Island Telephone installs and supports every type of phone system, from premise-based hardware to fully cloud-hosted solutions. But for schools specifically, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has become the modern standard. This single, network-based system replaces separate hardware in every building, rather than adding to it. For a district or private school board evaluating the investment, VoIP typically supports:

• Campus-wide calling between buildings, classrooms, and offices through one unified system
• Emergency 911 location routing, so responders know exactly which building and room a call came from
• Easier moves, adds, and changes as staffing or room assignments shift, without new wiring
• Lower long-term maintenance costs compared to aging on-premise hardware
• Remote and mobile access for staff, useful during closures, snow days, or off-campus communication needs

Whether you search for a “school phone system” or “VoIP for schools,” you’re generally researching the same solution, and it’s what most schools choose today when they upgrade. Rhode Island Telephone works with schools and school districts throughout Southern New England, and VoIP is consistently the system we install for new K-12 clients because of its flexibility and ease of use.

The Challenge

Like many schools operating across multiple departments, Mount Saint Charles Academy was managing a fragmented phone setup, sometimes having multiple phones at one desk. These inconsistent setups made day-to-day communication harder to manage both for staff trying to reach each other and for families trying to reach the school.

They were locked into a contract with Cox Communications using a VoIP system that wasn’t working for them. Prior to the expiration of their contract, they reached out to Rhode Island Telephone to review a new phone system option.

The Solution

Rhode Island Telephone worked closely with the Academy’s staff from planning through installation and deployment to consolidate their phone systems into a single, unified solution. The goal was a smooth transition and a system built to support reliable communication across the entire campus. The installation of CloudWorx hosted phone solution was completed during the school’s summer break to minimize disruptions.

The Result

Approximately 100 phones were installed across the campus, replacing the previously fragmented setup of multiple devices on some desks. They now have a simplified, campus-wide school phone system that’s easier to manage day-to-day and more dependable for the people who rely on it: faculty, staff, students, and the families they serve. All desks now have one phone on a unified platform that can be managed by the school IT department, with Rhode Island Telephone staff as a backup for support. Additionally, they are not held to a yearly contract that can make any business feel “stuck” when something isn’t working.

We’re grateful for the kind words Eric Butash shared with us after the project:

“It’s refreshing to work with a local company that combines technical expertise with a sincere commitment to doing what’s best for the organization they serve.” -Eric Butash, Mount Saint Charles Academy

Read the full letter from Eric Butash, Director of Technology at Mount Saint Charles Academy, below:

Why Schools Choose a Local Provider

Eric’s letter touches on something that goes beyond one project: the difference between working with a local team and working with a larger provider, like Cox Communications. For a school evaluating options, that difference tends to show up in a few concrete ways:

• Faster response, less waiting. A local team means a real person who already knows your school picks up, not a national call queue or a ticket system that routes you to whoever’s available.
• A team that knows your business. Local providers work within the same region, understand the realities of school buildings, staffing, and budgets, and build a relationship over time rather than treating each call as a new case number.
• No long-term lock-in contracts. Many large providers require multi-year contracts with early termination penalties. A local provider is more likely to earn your business on service, not a signature.
• Modern tools built for front-office realities, including:
  • Professional answering service for after-hours or overflow calls
  • Auto attendants to route calls without tying up office staff
  • Voicemail-to-email so messages aren’t missed between classes or meetings
  • Mobile and remote access for staff during closures or off-campus days

These are the kinds of details that matter once the initial installation is done, and they’re often what separates a school’s day-to-day experience with a phone system from the sales pitch that sold it.

Ready for a Phone System Built for Your School?

Rhode Island Telephone regularly works with private and public schools to address telecommunication infrastructure. Each sector has its own needs and processes. If your school phone system is in need of repair or replacement, Rhode Island Telephone can help. Get a free school phone assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions About School Phone Systems

About Rhode Island Telephone

Rhode Island Telephone has spent over 35 years helping schools and businesses across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut simplify their communication systems. From VoIP and premise-based phone solutions to security cameras and unified communications, our team handles everything from planning through installation and ongoing support — all backed by 24/7 service. As a local, independent provider, we build lasting relationships with the organizations we serve, rather than treating every client as a support ticket.