By late spring Great Bend USD 428 will be better connected than ever.That’s because of a new $48,700 IWATSU phone system that will allow each classroom phone to call any other phone in the district. Great Bend High School and the District Education Center (DEC) are already on the system.“This will expand our phone capabilities by increasing features like direct calling, voice mail and call clarity,” said Khris Thexton, assistant superintendent and director of business and operations. “It will also update obsolete, discontinued phone systems.“We will be able to reduce physical phone lines into the district while becoming more efficient and reducing costs,” Thexton said.