Grace Kirchner Leader Correspondent
The Clintonville School Board agreed Monday to move forward with technology upgrades at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School.
Clintonville Middle School principal Troy Kuhn said the school’s computer technician now has to manually control everything in every room at the elementary school. Nothing can be controlled off site.
“With a wi-fi upgrade, we can reduce teacher frustration,” said Kuhn.
Kuhn estimated the upgrades would not exceed $100,000, and half of that could be state funded and there are grants out there. There is a February deadline for the TEACH Grant.
According to Kuhn, a group effort for a recommendation was made and they discussed limiting the presence of Camera Corner employees at the district to cut costs. They are on site five days a week as their contract requires.
Kuhn said they would like to have one in-house employee to be the go-to person The group went through every classroom and computer lab and found that the technology needs were not the same between the district’s three schools.
Kuhn said he would like the staff computers updated. He said the teachers and the quality of teaching is behind now because everything has been dedicated to the student technology.
It is expected the upgrade would probably take place over the summer.
At a meeting on Jan. 8, Kuhn said he knew there was the possibility of another elementary school referendum coming but he recommended that if the school is in the picture three more years, that the upgrade be made.