By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Three technology proposals are set to be voted on at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting, after hours of discussion at the June 6 work session.
Middle school iPad usage from home, new computers for K-8 teachers and district internet usage are all set for a vote during the meeting, according to the meeting agenda.
At the work session, the Hays Middle School technology committee spoke to the board about the proposal to allow students to take district-issued tablets home, telling the board the goal is to allow students to be able to use the technology to create a more expansive learning experience.
Board Member Josh Waddell, however, questioned how it would create an equitable system if the student does not have access to the internet at home.
“Equitability is definitely a concern I have,” he said.
The group responded by noting hours before and after school would allow students to access the district’s internet and numerous free hotspots throughout Hays would provide service to students who would not be able to complete work at home.
It was also noted many of the applications on the iPads can be utilized while offline.
Online textbooks would be available on the tablets, homework could be completed at home on the tablets and encouragement of project-based learning are all reasons to allow the technology to go home with the students, the group said.
The group also said it would help in the transition to high school.
Hays High students are allowed to take district issued tablets home.
“I was adamantly against this,” said board member Sarah Rankin, but said after watching her daughter use the technology this year, she changed her mind.
“I now see the need,” she said.
In response, Waddell said he was “the exact opposite,” noting that his child had used a tablet at home for school maybe 10 times.
“It seems more of a convenience rather than an educational purpose,” he said adding that if middle schools students are allowed to take the district technology home, elementary school students could be given the same privilege soon – which hes said was a potential detriment to the students’ education.
Outgoing superintendent Dean Katt disagreed.
“I think that’s the direction we need to go,” he said, arguing that people frequently question why students cannot take the technology home in a one-to-one technology district.
During the presentation, the board also questioned if the proposal would shorten the life of the tablets.
Scott Summers, director of technology, responded, telling the board that the biggest lessonb he learned at other districts that allowed middle school students to take tablets home concerned proper usage and transportation, but repairs would be the same as what is currently seen with in school usage.
A $25 technology fee would also help cover the cost of any additional repairs by the district and damage done through negligence would be assessed to the student on a case-by-case basis.
The board is also set to vote on providing new computers to K-8 teachers through the district.
While the teachers have been provided with district-issued tablets, Summers told the board there are several applications in which the teachers need a more robust computing device for activities, such as grade input. The purchase will provide 153 Dell Latitude 3570 Laptops for K-8 teachers at a cost $97,155.
The computers being replaced are around six years old, according to Summers.
Wrapping up the technology items at the meeting, the board will also vote to approve increasing district internet speeds, provided by Eagle Communications.
The proposed addendum would increase district speed from 200Mbps to 400Mbps at a cost of $14,400 for the district for the next fiscal year. The total cost increase of $4,000 per month is being mostly absorbed by an already approved E-rate contract that Summer applied for in preparation for the speed increase.
During April and May, district internet speed was increased at no cost by Eagle, in order to collect usage data.
That analysis found the average peak usage was 290Mbps, with a peak speed of 370Mbps. If approved by the board, the speed increase would be added on to the final year of a three-year contract signed by the district.
The full meeting agenda can be found here.
The meeting will be streamed live on Hays Post, courtesy USD 489.
Discloure: Eagle Communications is the parent company of Hays Post.