The Puxico School Board approved the technology evaluation at its July meeting Thursday evening.
The evaluation was presented by Technology Coordinator Don McRoy.
McRoy said he applied on behalf of the district for E-rate funds. He applied for the amount of $71,715 to upgrade the district's wireless access points. The application was approved and will pay 80 percent of the cost which is $57, 372. The district will pay $14,343.
McRoy also applied for E-rate funds in the amount of $9,830 to replace aging Uninterruptible Power Supplies for access points and network switches. This was also approved and will pay 80 percent which is $7,864. The district will pay $1,966. Any unused E-rate funds can be accumulated and used for future technology projects.
The district's dismissal software will be switched from PIKMyKid to KIDaccount. McRoy said KIDaccount will allow bus drivers to print a list of students scheduled to be on their bus. The list will show which students are absent, which ones have a drop off change for that day, etc. The drivers will be able to better track the students in their care.
The program will also have an app for the teacher's phones for use during emergency situations such as evacuating due to fire or tornado. This will allow the teacher to complete a roll call of their class once to a safe location. The teacher can then send a green check mark or red check mark to school officials.
The green check indicating their class is safe and red indicating part or all of the class is not safe. Officials will know which class or classes are in need of aid.
McRoy said at the elementary building the computer desktops and keyboard were air cleaned. An additional fourth grade classroom was set up with Chromebooks and cart, teacher desktop computer, printer and document camera. Computers were relocated from the elementary lab to upgrade the high school computer lab. Technology was moved to the computer lab and a jTouch interactive display was installed. The Chromebooks were inspected and repaired if needed. Document cameras were added to three classrooms along with miscellaneous technology moves, adds additions and changes.
At the junior high all computer, desktops and keyboards were cleaned. Aging TVs were replaced with a 70 inch tv. An interactive jTouch interactive display was installed. The student computers were upgraded in the LMC. Upgrades were made to one Chromebook cart with new Chromebooks. Chromebook carts were inspected and repaired if needed. Miscellaneous technology moves, additions and changes were made.
The high school computer lab was upgraded with computers from the elementary lab. Aging computers were upgraded at the alternative school. Aging TVs and projectors were replaced. Upgrades were made to one Chromebook cart with new Chromebooks. Computer desktops and keyboards were cleaned. Chromebook carts were inspected and repaired if needed. Miscellaneous technology moves, additions and changes were made.
McRoy said the district has acquired the program BLOCKSl. This will allow the teacher in a classroom to view the students Chromebook screens from the instructors computer. The teacher will have the ability to lock all computer screens. The teacher can also lock individual screens creating a “penalty box” for students violating classroom rules. This is to keep students from interacting on their Chromebooks while the teacher is conducting a leason.
McRoy said additional cameras were added to to locations to improve student and staff safety. The firewall/content filtering hardware and software were upgraded. McRoy said the district is currently running around 285 wired desktop computers, more than 70 printers and over 1000 wireless devices.
McRoy said Google will support the Chrome operating system on the Chromebooks for five to eight years depending on the manufacture date. He said the computers will still run after this date but can no longer receive operating system or security updates. He said 52 Chromebooks were purchased this year and a minumum of 50 plus are purchased each year to rotate out the old computers.
Superintendent Report
Superintendent Cindy Crabb said supplies are arriving for the campus projects covered by the recently passed bond issue between July 18 and July 25. She said repairs to the elementary roof will begin on the July 25. Reapirs will also take place to the air conditioning in the high school shop and and high school. The elementary will also see work on its plumbing system and new furniture.
Crabb said Tom's Tuckpointing will start work on campus on July 28. She also said KT Power Systems has submitted a bid for work on the ball field lighting. The bid was not opened during the open session nor was any action taken at this time. Crabb said this was for the board's consideration at a later time.
Other Business
Crabb said legislation was passed that will move the certified teachers starting pay to $38,000. the board approved the new pay scale and any employees not qualifying for an increase under the new legislation will receive a pay increase as well.
Elementary principal Tammy Thompson said she applied for a $40,000 Department of Natural Resources grant for new equipment for the elementary playground. She hopes to receive an
She said equipment samples were sent to staff at the staff at the elementary school as part of a survey to determine which equipment was needed. Jill Smith with Custom Property Solutions also visited to campus to walk around the playgrounds with staff. Smith assisted in determining which equipment should be moved, removed, etc.
Thompson said it was determined more swings were needed. The swings will be placed to allow possible additions of an early childhood playground or new elementary building in the future. The new equipment will have the same color theme as the current equipment and is expected to be in place by the start of the school of the 2022/23 school year.