Posted: 11/13/02

Committee will study school technology needs

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Could taxpayers of ISD 831 be asked to open their pocketbooks to support technology needs in the district?

It will be part of the study of a new ad hoc technology committee formed by the school board on Monday, Nov. 4.

The committee, which will have 10 to 15 members, could be in place by mid-December and asked to complete its study by next July, said Lynn Steenblock, superintendent of schools. The committee will have membership that includes parents, district residents, students, teachers, administration and school board members.

The decision to appoint a new committee was made on the same night that the board received an update on the districtís technology program presented by district staff.

The bottom line of the staff report last week is this: The future needs to keep pace with developments in technology that include additional tech support, staff development and hardware and software upgrades.

The existing technology systems and infrastructure now in place was made possible by voter support of a $6 million technology levy in December of 1996.

In the six years since the approval of the technology levy, the school board has not been able to build regular yearly budgetary expenditures for technology because of budget concerns.

ìWeíve never had the money and weíve had to cut teachers,î said Board President Bill Bresin following last weekís meeting.

In the years following the technology levy, the board wanted to build in about $400,000 each year for technology support but has not been able to achieve that goal,
Bresin said.

Committee charge

Steenblock said the committee will have a broad task for its study. The committee will look at ìwhere we are and where do we need to be,î he said.

Steenblock said the committee will begin its work with ìno predeterminationî as to the conclusion.

A key component of the study will be the ever-changing role of technology in the day to day classroom instruction and what the district needs to do to address concerns here, the superintendent said.

Ultimately, he said, the recommendation will come back to the school board. ìThe school board will have to decide,î Steenblock said.

ìWe have no conclusions yet,î Bresin said.

Bresin said one outcome could involve some request to the taxpayers for funds to upgrade and expand technology to meet growing and changing needs in the districtís programs.

Bresin said it will be imperative for the committee to look at the needs of augmenting technology in curriculum areas such as science and industrial arts where more and more applications are being seen each year.

Bresin said he hoped the committee could be in place by next month and have its work finished by next July.

ìThe board will have to look and decide,î Bresin said.

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