Teacher-Tablet Plans Depend on Program Costs

The agreed to investigate the costs of a technology initiative that has teachers using Windows tablet computers in district classrooms.

The investigation of the leasing agreement that would provide the computers—an about $1.8 million investment that would be phased in over a four year period—comes at the Board of Education’s request. It would involve taking bids for the leasing agreement and the Lenovo brand tablets, and would allow the board to determine whether the initiative fits within the school budget.

A portion of the lease would be funded through $300,000 from this year’s school budget, as well as $450,000 leftover from the district’s interactive projector purchase, according to Joel Handler, district technology director.

“Currently, we have budgeted to do this year starting with a quarter of our staff,” Handler said. “Basically, we want to allow staff to do what they need to do at any time, anywhere. .  .When you have portability, you see more productivity.”

The package would include a tablet, cover, and extra battery. In addition, the district would purchase a service plan from the tablet manufacturer, District Superintendent Jorden Schiff said.

The district has about 700 certificated staff members, whereas it has about 500 desktop computers in its classrooms, Handler said.

The tablet initiative would replace the district’s existing desktop computers, many of which are obsolete. According to feedback from teachers who piloted the program—the pilot occurred with several tablet models to allow the district to test each tablet’s features—the desktop computers can require teachers to have their backs to the class, and limit their movement around the classroom. The tablets allowed them to move around the room and check students’ work while teaching, Handler stated.

Though the leasing plan would provide the tablets upfront, the district would pay for the items over the four-year period.  It would then own the devices.

The leasing plan prevents sharp increases in the district’s technology budget that could be seen by making purchases in alternating years, Handler said. It also prevents the district from having multiple models—some with different features—in the district, and allows teachers to assist each other when problems arise.

“The cost wasn’t going to be as steep as we projected because we are going to be phasing out the desktops,” Handler said. “Some of them are five, going on six years old. They just aren’t able to keep up.   .   . We would cut down on some of the costs there. We get around some of these balloonings where we go up one year and then it drops down and then goes up again another year.”

But the concern for some board members is both committing to the expenditure and the need for improvements in other areas, such as school facilities.

“My concern is that we’re entering into a potential four-year agreement, and, besides the fact that we’re obligating future boards to pay for this for four years,” Jennifer Haley said. “Technology changes so quickly that I would think that that might be a dinosaur in four years.”

According to Handler, technology progression has devices becoming outdated regardless of when the purchase is made.

 “Right now, they will be equally useable in four years,” Handler said. “If we were to try to keep up with the latest technology every year, we would never be able to because the technology changes so much.”

Haley also noted that the district has a list of Capital Improvements, but stated that it has more money budgeted for technology than for infrastructure improvements.

“It’s not necessarily a positive environment when you have buckets in the hallways,” she said. “We have to be really careful where we invest our money. .  .having a nice school where we don’t have as many issues with our facilities also creates a nice environment as well.”

Schiff agreed with her comments about the facilities, but noted that the district deposited $1 million into its Capital Reserve Account, which is used to fund school improvements and repairs. It hopes to repeat that deposit during this year’s budget process, he said.

It is also looking into a process that would allow the district to use money from energy savings toward Capital Projects.

“We have multiple priorities in our district,” Schiff said. “I think that is it prudent to try to address all of them reasonably.”

Other board members asked whether it would be more prudent for the district to purchase the tablets over a number of years.

“One of the areas that Mr. Handler touched on was not spiking our budget with expenses for technology in any one particular year,” Schiff said. “If we did a phase-in schedule where we did only one part of the staff one year, one part of the staff another year, we would be stacking the leases. .  .The expenditures would then increase one year after the next after the next.”

The student representative to the board questioned whether teachers would even use the technology.

“The best type of teachers don’t need this technology,” Daria Grastara, student representative to the board, said. “I was wondering why the board hasn’t considered spending this money and using it more toward students and having them bring their laptops to school and switching all textbooks to online sources.

“I can see this being treated the same way as the newly installed microphones, where teachers are used to doing what they know and have been doing for how many some-odd years, and maybe ignoring this type of technology” she added. “As a student, I see this being a waste of time and money.”

Schiff agreed with Grastara’s comments on online textbooks and resources, but noted that the district needs to attain both goals.

“We need to not only provide technology for our kids but provide that for the teachers who work with them,” he said. “.  .  .We have to move forward deliberately and cautiously and providing the supports that are necessary for out teachers.”

Regardless of the district’s plans, the board agreed that the project relies on the district’s budget for the 2012-2013 school year. Since it won’t receive state aid numbers until later in the month, the board will postpone its decision on approving the initiative. During that time, it will allow the central office to solicit bids for the leasing contract, in order to have an idea of project cost.

“All we’re saying is let’s look at the budget and see if it fits into our priorities,” Thomas Kinst said.