By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
The crowd of nearly 30 teachers, administrators and community members broke out in applause following the Hays USD 489 Board of Education’s 5- 2 vote to approve the Technology Committee’s recommendation and move forward with the plan to provide technology devices for every student in the district.
The approved plan calls for mini-iPads for grades K-2, iPads for grades 3-8 and Windows-based devices for grades 9-12.
The approval came after the board listened to three options from Director of Technology Brian Drennon, who was tasked to design a few phase-in options rather than the initial recommendation.
Option two excluded new devices for Hays High School students, but provided Apple mini-iPads for grades K-2 and iPads for grades 3-8.
Option three excluded new devices at HHS and provided mini iPads for grade K-5 and iPads for grades 3-8.
The discussion between board members, teachers, principals and members of the Technology Committee focused on the whether a tech device for every student was a “need” that would improve learning in the classroom or a “want” the district could live without.
Drennon presented a slide depicting the cost of each device per pupil per year. For example, one iPad costs less than $75 dollars per year considering the life of the device.
Director of The Learning Center Anita Scheve, a parent of four, said she could not think of any other profession where technology would be considered a want and not a need.
“Technology has become a need across every profession, across every sector of every society. We operate in technology,” Scheve said. “What spoke to me the most as a parent … is that breakdown of cost per device per student, because if you look at how much it cost per student per device … (it) is a minimal investment for something you have heard can be used across every single subject, every single day.”
Board members Greg Schwartz and Lance Bickle voted against the one-to-one option for every student, but Bickle admitted he was “torn.”
“I want to be perfectly clear. I am 100 percent in favor of technology … by no means am I saying its not important in the classroom,” Bickle said. “The problem I have and go back to is I honestly can’t say we need, not want, but need one-to one in the classroom at this given time given the financial situation,” adding he would be more comfortable with a phase-in approach.
The approval came with a stipulation the proposed four-year lease agreement will not exceed more than the current technology budget of a little more than $1.5 million over the next four years.
Director of Finance Tracy Kaiser and Superintendent Dean Katt both said they felt comfortable staying within the current technology budget of $400,000 per year