The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
School bond focuses on technology
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
On Tuesday, Dexter Community School District residents will be asked to approve a $47,890,000 bond proposal of which 25 percent is dedicated to the purchase of technology hardware and infrastructure. In order to help our students be competitive in an increasingly high-tech world, technology must be a priority.
Advertisement
Research studies and everyday experiences conclude that technology can enhance the achievement of all students, increase parental involvement in their child's learning, improve teachers' skills and knowledge, and improve the management and operation of schools.
Computer networks bring connectivity and access to the Internet which allows students to research, manipulate the information they find in ways that cannot be achieved without the use of technology tools, and then communicate the results of their work utilizing a variety of media.
Dexter's network equipment has been in operation on a daily basis for the last eight years and components need to be replaced to provide reliable access to essential teaching, learning and communication tools. The technology part of the bond spans 10 years with plans for immediate purchases, purchases at five years and purchases at the 10 year mark.
Almost all data in the District is now handled and analyzed by computers. All reports mandated by state and federal agencies are computer generated. In addition to housing academic information, Power School, which was implemented last year, also provides an essential communication link to families.
The capabilities of a computer need to grow as students move through the grades toward high school graduation. To maximize resources, the district repurposes computers when possible. This means that equipment that still works, but no longer meets the demands of the learner, is placed elsewhere in the District. The Department of Information Technology recommends that hardware be replaced every four years. More than 75 percent of the District's current inventory exceeds this guideline.
Effective teaching needs to be dynamic and interactive, very much like the world in which we live. Technology tools free up time so that instruction can be less task driven and instead be more creative, collaborative and constructive. The need for technology tools will continue to grow as more innovations are discovered. Just think how technology has changed in the last five years!
I hope that you have had the opportunity to read the bond-related newspaper articles, visit the District's bond web site, and/or attend one of the bond presentations made by District staff. Your support on Tuesday will allow the District to enhance the safety of the school environment and give students the technology tools they need to be competitive in today's world.
The bond has been structured so that the 8.5 mills currently being levied for debt will not increase. The bond proposal will extend the decline in debt levy projected to begin in 2013 until 2018. Polling locations are the same as those for presidential and gubernatorial elections.
Evelynn Shirk is the superintendent of Dexter Community Schools.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
