A new bell system was installed over winter break at West Henderson to solve problems and damage from the old system, and was implemented on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

According to administrative assistant Pam Smith, office staff had noticed that the past bell system had broken during the 2017-2018 school year.

“We were having major problems with the bell system. The two times (HAYNES Electric) tried to repair it, the parts weren’t available,” Smith said. “Originally, we were supposed to get it last year, but another school needed one more than we did. So, they bandaged ours up until we could get one in for the new physical year.”

The previous issues with the bell system varied greatly and posed many problems for office staff and classrooms.

“Sometimes you couldn’t hear when you were trying to make an all-call for a student,” Smith said. “Some weeks, the bells wouldn’t work at all.”

Staff and students alike said they were taken by surprise with the new system.

“It’s a very different sound and was very surprising to me at first,” freshman Kerrington Barksdale said. “I have grown to dislike it a lot, because it sounds like an airport bell and it makes an obnoxious noise.”

Science teacher Tiffany Owens said she quickly warmed up to the bell’s tone differences.

“I was surprised. I feel like I’m not in a school, but I do appreciate the differences in tone, because I’m an auditory person anyway,” Owens said. “I do definitely enjoy having different bells for different reasons.”

By: Marissa Detwiler, Staff Writer