Laptops will be issued to seventh- and 10th-grade students for the 2015-16 school year, as the Oconto Falls School Board on Monday unanimously recommitted to its 1-to-1 technology initiative.
The School Board will invest $205,500 to continue its multi-year effort to phase-in laptops for seventh- and 10th-grade students. For the 2015-16 school year, students in seventh to 11th grades will have laptops.
Voters in August approved a referendum that allows the school district to collect an additional $400,000 in taxes for each of the next three years. The money was earmarked for roofing projects, 1-to-1 technology and the recruitment and retention of teachers.
Superintendent Dave Polashek said it was not a good idea to scale back its commitment to 1-to-1 computing, but state budget proposals indicate the district might have to operate with $183,000 less than a year ago.
“We got squeezed so hard. Quite frankly, I think it’s an emergency situation,” he said. “This is a real crisis when they expect you to operate on less money than you had last year, with the cost of living that’s out there.”
“As a taxpayer, I’d question why we’d cut it when we approved it,” said Bev Schwantes, a teacher in the district and a parent of two Washington Middle School students who also spoke at the meeting.
“It’s not recommended that we discontinue it, but it’s one of the tools that we can look at,” Polashek said.
Three middle school students and five teachers told about the benefits of school-issued laptops, such as access to online resources, personalized learning and ease of coordinating group projects. Teacher Melissa Kirst gave each School Board member a packet of letters written by middle school students supporting the initiative.
School Board member Pam Engel said students who find technology motivating can truly benefit from having their own device.
“They’ve become dependent, in a good way, on technology,” she said.
“As we heard the teachers testify, it’s so much easier to reach kids,” board President Ron Leja said.
“We’re going to be doling out decisions about where we’re spending money, and I think it’s good to have that discussion, but we need to stay committed to it,” board member Jan Stranz said.
