The Presentation School

The Presentation School, a private K-8 school in Sonoma, California, serves approximately 190 students in four buildings on a new, 4.5 acre campus. The school is dedicated to an integrated curriculum, emphasizing high expectations, active learning, and the arts. As part of its move into a new campus, the school has created an advanced technology infrastructure that includes a converged voice and data network supporting VoIP, high-speed internet access, and new Apple computers for faculty and students alike.

To build a technology infrastructure that would support both its current and future needs, The Presentation School deployed Meru’s Wireless LAN System to provide wireless connectivity throughout the campus. Integrating the Meru WLAN System with a minimized, fixed cabling system reduced both initial deployment costs and projected lifecycle operating costs—a savings of up to 75% compared to hard wiring. Meru’s WLAN also minimized the environmental impact of IT systems by reducing the amount of plastic-coated copper cabling in school buildings, and completely eliminating many traditional school system components, including overhead paging, televisions, and synchronized clocks and bells. The Presentation School’s Wireless LAN enabled new capabilities that were unavailable in the school's previous location, such as universal Internet access and e-mail for staff. The school expects to see immediate benefits in improved communication between faculty, parents, and administrators and, over time, to use the technology system investment to significantly enhance the student learning experience.