GREENLAND -- Students in the three schools are starting the year with new computers in all grades.
Rick Gales, technology director, said the district spent $150,000 since last school year to buy iPads for first- and second-graders; Chromebooks for middle schoolers; and Windows-based laptop computers for high schoolers.
Students in the third and fourth grades also have access to Chromebooks, he said. The middle school and high school each have one iPad cart.
The Greenland School Board on Thursday approved buying wireless access points to boost the infrastructure for $14,735.
The additional access points will allow up to 100 devices to be connected to each, upgrading the access points already in place, Gales said. Most of the cost will be covered by the district's federal appropriation for schools with more than 35 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. That percentage hasn't been calculated this year. Last year the rate was about 64 percent.
The new computers were purchased as carts with 25 on each cart, Gales said.
The additional computers plus the computers already in laboratories boost the ratio to one computer to about one and a half students, Gales said. The district has a sufficient number of computers for the new on line testing program which starts statewide next spring. The computer-based tests will assess students based on the Common Core State Standards.
In other business, the board scheduled a special goal-setting session Sept. 9, based on a recommendation by Superintendent Larry Ben.
Ben presented an academic report to the board documenting student performance on the Benchmark and end-of-course exams for the last five years. His analysis showed math scores dipped below the state averages each year while literacy scores were more in line with state averages when plotted on a graph.
"We want to work to improve the academic side," he told the board, adding the board members may have other goals they want to work on.
Board members also learned of another delay in the completion of improvements at the football stadium when Doug Bryant of Pick-It Construction said the field house probably won't be completed before October because precast metal building hasn't been shipped from the manufacturer yet.
Bryant said delivery of field house is now expected Sept. 5 and should be operational by Oct. 10. The previous projected completion date was Sept. 26.
NW News on 08/22/2014