The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current, March 20, 2003, Page 13, Image 13

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    Superintendent Marilyn Mc-
Glasson told the Banks school
board, at their meeting March
10th, that Banks Christian
Academy (BCA) has requested
an extension of their contract
with the district. BCA would like
to extend their contract and
continue to pay on a monthly
basis after July 1,2004, when a
balloon payment of $317,910 is
due. The board briefly dis­
cussed the possibility of capital
projects, such as school expan­
sion or remodeling, in the next
ten years. McGlasson said that
the BCA request should be
looked at as part of a larger
frame of reference. She recom­
mended that the contract be
extended one year at a time
and revisited annually. Money
received from BCA is protected
in a capital improvement fund
and is not part of the general
fund. The contract will be dis­
cussed at the April board meet­
ing.
T e c h n o l o g y P la n
U p d a te d
The board was presented
with the latest update of the dis­
trict’s Technology Plan. The
committee, chaired by Director
of Information Technology Gary
Hartman, included elementary
teachers Rob Frank and Tam­
my Schrader, junior high
teacher Linda Kiehl, high
school teachers Karla Clark,
Brad Henegar and Donna
Niessner, principals Marty Vo­
gel, Mark Everett and Jim Fos­
ter and parents Scott Bradley,
Stuart Douglas and Duane
Lundsten.
A district computer plan, de­
veloped in 1985, has been
rewritten several times. The re­
port says that the district views
technology as an integral part
of the curriculum and that tech­
nology greatly enhances the
learning process for students.
By utilizing technology, the re­
port says, we enable students
to be active participants in the
inform ation age. The report
says that all students deserve
the opportunity to learn more
about their world through tech­
nology. The report concludes
that “the district has been
steadily moving toward educat-
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ing our students for the Infor­
mation Age. One way or anoth­
er, our dedicated staff has
found ways to give all our stu­
dents exposure to the Informa­
tion Age. They just haven’t
been able to provide the tech­
nology-rich education the stu­
dents deserve."
Technology is integrated into
instruction in a way that re­
quires students to use technol­
ogy to learn some of the cur­
riculum. At the high school lev­
el, technology skills are taught
to allow students to enter ca­
reers in technology.
Another goal is the use of
technology to aid district staff
with their duties and enhance
communication. Technology is
widely used by the staff to man­
age grading and attendance,
information which can be ac­
cessed by students and admin­
istrators through the Internet.
Technology is also used to
track progress toward the CIM
and for many administrative
tasks. The district web page
provides daily information and
monthly updates, but Hartman
said that the Internet could be
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better used to facilitate commu­ budget crisis, but teachers and
nication between school and students are frustrated by hav­
home. In addition, though ing to work with slow comput­
opening school technology in­ ers. Students are sometimes
frastructure to the community unable to com plete certain
has been, and remains, a goal tasks and, Hartman said, some
of the plan the school has been of the technology standards -
unable provide leadership to set to define what students
make this possible.
should be able to accomplish at
Lundsten gave the board a each benchmark level - may
quick lesson in computer have to be scaled back.
speed. Lundsten, who rede­
If computer replacement is
ploys used computers as part not funded, Hartman said, it will
of his job, explained that com­ limit the number of computers
puters slower than 500mHz are available and make it difficult
not re-used in the industry. He for students to reach a technol­
presented an inventory of the ogy benchmark without com­
age and speed of all computers puters to work on. The plan
currently in use in the district; also defines a process to be
none of them meet the industry used by the technology coordi­
standard for re-use, and all are nator and superintendent if ad­
well below the speed of a new ditional grant money becomes
computer. The committee de­ available.
cided that computers should be
Progress toward achieving
replaced every five years.
the goals can be seen in a
The plan developed to meet number of areas, Hartman
district technology goals in­ said. Both the junior high and
cludes an annual budget to re­ high school have applied tech­
place outdated computers, in­ nology standards across their
frastructure equipment and curriculum and identified areas
software on a rotating basis. where the integration of tech­
Approximately $75,000 per nology is weak or nonexistent.
year is needed to meet the Teachers have identified units
plan’s five-year rotation goal. of study where standards could
Though the full amount was be integrated, and required
budgeted for the 2002-2003 classes where instruction on
school year, it has been cut to technology standards could
$10,000, creating a need for take place in order to meet the
$140,000 in next year’s budget needs of all students.
in order to replace two years
McGlasson said the district
worth of equipment. Lundsten wants to graduate students
and Hartman said the commit­ prepared for today, and nearly
tee recognizes the difficulty of all jobs require some level of
accomplishing this in a time of expertise with technology.
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