Frankfort Elementary and High School have taken a significant step forward in communication by replacing their outdated changeable copy signs with modern Watchfire electronic messaging centers.
Housed in custom-built cabinets featuring bold Panther graphics, the new signs reflect the Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools’ branding and create a unified visual identity across both campuses.
These digital message boards allow school administrators to quickly and remotely update information — eliminating the need to change letters manually. This upgrade makes it easier for each school to share timely announcements, event details, important dates, and emergency alerts with students, parents, and the broader community.
The elementary school saw a particularly big improvement. Their previous sign was mounted too low and often blocked by parked vehicles, making messages hard to read. The new display is installed at a higher, more visible height, ensuring clear communication during busy drop-off and pick-up times. The custom cabinet includes internally illuminated logos and graphics, enhancing visibility during early mornings and late evenings.
The middle and high school received a new sign installed in a more prominent location along a busier road — dramatically increasing visibility to passing traffic. Since there was no sign in that location previously, the project required new utility lines and even relocating part of the baseball field fence to accommodate the installation.
The project came with its share of challenges. Due to the large size of both signs, they were fully assembled in our workshop to ensure proper fit and finish, then disassembled for transport and carefully reassembled on-site. Our engineers designed the aluminum cabinets to recess the electronic message centers, creating a sleek and streamlined appearance by hiding the EMC frames. Additionally, special approval was required from the city to move forward with the placement of the high school sign.
Thanks to grant funding, the schools were able to invest in this major communication upgrade—one that will serve students, staff, and the community for years to come.
Go Panthers!
