Chair Heinrich called to meeting to order at 7:32 PM. He announced that the meeting scheduled for November 14 was cancelled due to lack of a quorum.
This month's topic for review was Information Management. It was reported that there are only nine computers per elementary that have CD-ROM capability, and use is additionally limited by the small number of programs available in the district. Many elementary teachers are using the computer to generate report cards. An important elementary goal is networking and a CD-ROM tower. The biggest obstacles in the elementary area are access to hardware and software and space availability. The elementary technology specialists cannot currently meet teacher requests/needs. At the middle school, only the library has CD-ROM: 1 station with 4 programs. (A fifth program is shared with the high school.) There are 2 Macs with CD-ROM potential in the library, they would like at least 3. The IBMs do not have sound cards. Some science and math teachers have written a grant for phone lines. It was noted that teachers find Internet a useful teaching tool. Among the future goals at the middle school are at least one computer per grade, per cluster and a monitored open lab for student use. The possibility of using volunteers to monitor the open lab was raised. Modem access should be coming during the 1995-96 school year. The high school also has five CD-ROM programs (one of which is shared with the middle school.) The high school is looking for donations of single speed CD-ROMs. The IBMs do not have sound cards. The biggest problems for technology are the need for more equipment, more software, more space and supervision for free labs. The district mainframe 4300 VAX has a purchased data management system which stores financial, payroll, student and personnel records. It is currently considered to have adequate storage space. A drawback to the VAX is the annual subscription, port and maintenance costs. Many staff have free SERESC accounts and E-mail addresses, although E-mail is not used as often as it probably could be. There will be a request for computers in the 1996-97 budget for the school nurses to help them more efficiently maintain student medical records, reports, etc.
J. Flis started the discussion asking about providing teachers with the necessary tools to do their jobs. He had a concern about teachers having formal training on storing and protecting the confidentiality of school district data. Dorinda Gibney indicated that Staff Development courses will emphasize this issue and noted that all teachers are required to keep a written grade book in addition to any computer records. She also noted that Staff Development courses offer computer training fall, spring and summer to address the faculty needs. M. Chiafery noted that it had been a district decision to provide computers for the children of the district ahead of teacher training. J. Flis again told the Technology Committee to figure out the value of labor saved streamlining teacher jobs by using technology, i.e. find out what technology allows the district to do cheaper, easier and faster and put a dollar value on it. There was a discussion about fiber optic lines at MHS versus 56 KB lines at MES, RFS, MMS, and TFS. J. Flis asked if purchasing re-furbished equipment with maintenance contracts had been considered. Other concerns about warranties, maintenance contracts, and protections were raised. The following items were noted: there is a small general repair/replace account. The 1995-96 technology budget is $100,000 of which $35,000 has been spent. There is $100,000 in the C.I.P. for 1996-97.
Pat McGrath suggested that the district investigate hiring an electronic maintenance mechanic...someone who will oversee the repair of district computers and oversee those computers which are currently being used for parts. The money that is used for the maintenance contract could be used as salary for this position.
S. Isabelle reported that he has been in contact with PSNH and the district has been given preliminary approval to build in the PSNH easement. In order to get final approval, full architectural drawings of the field and the proposed plans are needed. He also felt that step two was to get cost figures for the field at MMS.
J. Flis asked what the committee should do next? There were questions about how the proposed additions would affect the proposed plan for athletic field expansion. There was a question about how much money was in the athletic field expendable trust and whether the committee was going to sponsor warrant articles to add the this fund from surplus.
By consensus the committee decided that P. McGrath and S. Isabelle would generate the parameters of the project and S. Isabelle would deal with PSNH and Keyes Associates. It was decided to put this item first on the agenda at the January 9th meeting.
It was also decided that future agendas should include tentative time parameters.
On a motion from W. Oosterman, seconded by D. Miller, it was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 10:35 PM.
Planning & Building Committee
Last Updated: February 2, 1998 by Wayne Morrison