By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Despite a study on migrating Hays Middle School to Chromebooks next year, the Hays USD 489 Technology Committee is recommending the district purchase more iPads for HMS.
The Hays USD 489 school board will consider the iPad purchase at its meeting tonight.
A cost analysis compared iPads, Chromebooks and a Dell Windows operating system. The windows system was over budget.
The iPads came in at $254,320, and the Chromebooks came in at $317,612. The committee based the estimates on a purchase of 680 iPads with the staff using the machines they have now.
However, a switch to a new platform, would mean 40 more devices would have to be purchased for staff. The committee also took into account that the district would be able to continue to use the software it has now and additional training would not be needed for the iPads.
The iPads also scored higher on potential resale after four years, when the devices will be cycled out of use at the school. The iPads had an estimated resale value of $60, whereas Chromebooks only had a projected resale value of $10 each.
Board members asked the district to study the use of Chromebooks to determine if the devices would be cheaper than the iPads the district is currently using.
The district has a one-to-one policy for computers. Devices are on a four-year replacement plan, which administrators hope will decrease costs and keep budgets more consistent.
Interest-based bargaining
The school board will also consider moving negotiations to a interest-based bargaining system. Board member Paul Adams suggested the change at a recent meeting.
IBB is a collaborative approach to resolving labor and management disputes, according to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Through the process, parties proactively identify durable solutions to outcomes at the bargaining table. Agreements are based on mutual and individual interests rather than positions.
Kathy Rome, KNEA UniServ director, said the district used IBB in the past, but moved back to position bargaining.
During a recent public comment session with incoming Hays superintendent, Ron Wilson, she said local teachers are interested in going back to IBB.
Wilson is the current superintendent at Heringotn and has used IBB in teacher negotiations there.
Bond work
The district will continue to discuss a future school bond issue.
At the Jan. 28 school board meeting, DLR Group, the district’s architect, along with Nabholz Construction presented a list of possible bond projects totaling $29.4 million. These included finishing air conditioning projects at the Hays High School, expanding the cafeteria at HMS and renovating Roosevelt Elementary School to accommodate five sections of each grade.
The board is set to:
• Designate agents for teacher negotiations.
• Adopt a renewal of the five-year capital outlay resolution. The capital outlay mill levy is now at 8 mills.
• Review the administrative contracts for building-level certified administrators for the 2019-2020 school year.
• Review the proposed 2019-20 school year calendar created by the calendar committee.