As part of the migration of the district’s traditional telephone service to a VoIP system (Voice Over Internet Protocol), nearly all telephone numbers for schools and offices were ported over from previously-used telecommunications companies to the new broadband telephone system. Unfortunately, a handful of phone numbers were not able to be ported over from school campuses in the Wagener and Ridge Spring-Monetta areas to the new system, and exhaustive efforts to forward calls have resulted in frequent telephone outages to impacted schools. In an effort to eliminate this issue in the future, Busbee Elementary, A.L. Corbett Middle, Wagener-Salley High, and Ridge Spring-Monetta’s K-12 campus will begin transitioning to new phone numbers, which are active now. Existing numbers are also still active, and will be phased out by December 1 of this year.
New telephone numbers for Wagener and Ridge Spring-Monetta-area schools are as follows:
Busbee Elementary School: (839) 846-7008;
A.L. Corbett Middle School: (839) 846-7009;
Wagener-Salley High School: (839) 846-7006; and
Ridge Spring-Monetta K-12 Campus: (839) 846-7010.
The “839” area code may be unfamiliar to our community, but it is not long distance. Population growth in the state and the major increase in phone numbers issued over the years (due to the popularity of cell phones) necessitated the addition of an overlay area code. The “839” area code was added several years ago and will become more commonplace for new numbers, especially those for large businesses and organizations with direct-dialing and a common number.
Throughout this month, former telephone numbers will also still be operable as the schools’ new telephone numbers are communicated to staff, parents/guardians, students, and the broader school communities. This transition period is intended to give school communities time to become familiar with their new school phone number before the former number is phased out on December 1.
LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: PR BUSBEE ELEMENTARY, CORBETT MIDDLE, WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH, & RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA’S K-12 CAMPUS TO TRANSITION PHONE NUMBERS