Chicago Public Schools Data Center & Student Safety and Security Center

Level-1 modernized CPS’ data center and safety hub, integrating resilient IT, cabling, and security systems to safeguard students and support digital learning.

As the second largest school district in the United States, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serves more than 361,000 students across over 600 sites. Supporting this scale of public education requires a high-capacity redundant technology platform that protects students, powers learning, and connects communities. For teachers, this infrastructure also means access to more reliable digital tools in the classroom enabling consistent lesson delivery, seamless use of educational platforms, and the confidence that student safety systems are functioning without interruption. 

When CPS embarked on a district-wide modernization effort, they entrusted Level-1 Global Solutions as the local component for the critical system-wide upgrades to bolster their digital learning ecosystem and safeguard student security. At the heart of this initiative was the relocation and overhaul of CPS’ core data center infrastructure and the transformation of its Student Safety and Security Center, a central hub responsible for coordinating emergency response with agencies such as OEMC and the Chicago Police Department. 

Level-1 was responsible for engineering and executing the relocation of the Board of Education’s data center infrastructure, a complex effort involving two separate facilities, an 11,000 square foot data center housing rack-based equipment, and a 1,900 square foot center containing the core server and storage systems supporting enterprise applications, telecom, and network switching. The Student Safety and Security Center was also moved during this process, relocated alongside the data center to the OEMC on West Madison Street. This included the migration of the security head-end, the main servers supporting access control, cameras, and the PSIM system, ensuring CPS maintained seamless emergency coordination and surveillance capabilities during the transition.

However, the path to completion was far from simple. During a high-pressure election year, the project had fallen into disarray under a prime contractor who struggled to deliver. As the trusted local subcontractor, Level-1 took control, and salvaged the effort under tight deadlines and rising scrutiny. There was a whole lot riding on that move, which had to take place between Christmas and New Year’s as both the data center and Safety and Security Center relocations occurred simultaneously. With less than two weeks before the January reopening, and under mounting political pressure, our team of 40 mobilized during the winter holidays, sleeping on site (floor of the Data Center) away from their families, to meet the impossible timeline. In just 8 days, we successfully rebuilt the infrastructure so schools could reopen on time, without disruption to students or staff. 

This effort not only ensured uninterrupted educational services for students and teachers but also established a reliable backbone for CPS’ digital learning systems and emergency coordination functions. It stands as a defining example of our capacity to step in, take ownership, and execute when it matters most. 

To meet CPS’ operational and security requirements, Level-1: 

• Designed and installed structured cabling systems for equipment racks across both facilities 
• Executed the physical racking and interconnection of high- and low-voltage infrastructure 
• Coordinated all circuit installations with telecom carriers, extended the circuits to the WAN rack, and established redundant N+1 power distribution across mission-critical systems 
• Implemented strict physical security protocols and monitored HVAC systems tied to equipment uptime 
• Provided real-time support to maintain emergency response continuity during the transition 

What We Delivered 

• Comprehensive relocation and modernization of CPS’ enterprise-scale data center infrastructure 
• Structured cabling and redundant power systems engineered for N+1 resiliency 
• Coordinated telecom circuit extensions and carrier integration across sites 
• Security infrastructure supporting OEMC and 24/7 surveillance operations 
• IT equipment installation at all new Board of Education office workstations 
• Deployment of a new, mission-critical Student Safety and Security Center 

The new enterprise-wide data center now serves as a 24/7 surveillance and coordination hub, connected with Chicago’s broader emergency infrastructure. It houses multi-monitor arrays, workstations, and secured IT environments designed to support rapid communication and response among public safety agencies.