School District Looks at Technology Needs

The technology committee of the school board recently met with the district’s Director of Technology and Information Services William Smojver to discuss the district’s technology, according to a report at the November meeting from School Board Member and Technology Committee Chair Patrick McCaffery.

They had a long list of questions and issues to discuss since the committee hadn’t meet since June of 2010, McCaffery said.

Current technology projects in the district include:

• Making several of schools wireless – all secondary schools, STEM Saratoga and and Prairie Elementary schools;
• Upgrading to software Office 2007 and Windows 2010. Currently, the district has a “hodge-podge” of software, leading to compatibility problems.
• Working on how to implement a statewide student information system (SIS).

Future budget expenditures for district technology may include infrastructure upgrades because of aging, old and inefficient hardware and equipment; district-wide wireless; the SIS, although it’s possible the state will pay for some of that; and electronic text books and devices that support them, a new trend in education, according to McCaffery.

The committee also discussed the state of school district data and its inefficient flow. Sometimes data has to be entered in to district systems three different times, McCaffery said.

The district is also considering remote access. Currently, if there is a problem at another location, the district has to send a technician to fix it. McCaffery noted that at most large companies, they would be able to use a remote desktop to fix problems but the district doesn’t have that capability.

They are also looking at reviewing technology policies, especially regarding personal devices coming in and leaving district.