The Siloam Springs School District has achieved its goal of having a one-to-one ratio of electronic devices for students, and starting this year high school students will have the option to take home their Chromebook computers.
School board members approved a student contract, which includes the option for parents to purchase insurance for the devices for $15, at Thursday's school board meeting. Chromebooks are laptops that run the Google Chrome operating system.
Assistant Superintendent Jody Wiggins reported the district has gone to one-to-one computing at all of its campuses, but that it is making major changes to allow high school students to take their computers home.
Parents and guardians will have the option to choose whether or not they want to participate in the program and allow their students to take the computers home, according to Todd Cross, district technology director.
Students who participate will be issued a Chromebook, charger and case and will be allowed to remove the items from campus at the end of the days. Those who do not opt to participate will be allowed to use a Chromebook, charger and case at school, but will not be allowed to take the items home with them.
Parents and students will have the option to purchase Chromebook insurance for $15, which will cover the cost of repairs to the computer for one year. The insurance won't cover Chromebooks that are lost or stolen. Parents can also opt to allow their students to take the Chromebooks home without insurance, but they will be responsible for the cost of any replacement or repairs, Cross said.
Cross and Wiggins said they reviewed what other school districts in the area are doing and asked for input from high school staff members. The contract was also reviewed and approved by the district's attorney.
"We wanted to make it as fair as we could, we wanted to give some options, those were a couple good options to choose from," Cross said. "If it's lost or stolen, it will be straight replacement costs."
The insurance is actually slightly cheaper than other districts with similar programs, Wiggins said.
"Our goal is not to make money, it's to bring in enough money to repair and replace, so if we need to adjust at some point we can do that," he said.
The school already has a system in place for billing parents for damaged or lost text books and a similar system would be used for billing parents for damaged or lost Chromebooks.
Board member Connie Matchell asked what the replacement costs will be. Cross explained there are a few different types of Chromebooks in the district, but said he can provide parents with a breakdown of costs. Matchell suggested giving parents and average range of costs.
Board member Roger Holroyd noted there are a lot of students who qualify for free and reduced school meals in the district and expressed concern they may not be able to afford the $15 insurance fee, which could put them at a disadvantage.
High School Principal Anne Martfeld said the school will work with students who cannot afford the fee.
Martfeld said staff members plan to do extensive training with students on the care and maintenance of the computers. The Chromebooks will also come in very rugged cases.
Wiggins noted that Northside Elementary School purchased iPads eight to 10 years ago, along with rugged cases. He said the iPads are still in service even though they are used by 5-year-old students.
"Most students value it," Martfeld said. "I'm optimistically hopeful that it will be better than you think it will be as far as damages."
New Northside Library
In other business, Wiggins reported the new library at Northside Elementary School and the new teacher parking lot on the prekindergarten wing is complete.
The project was completed $21,000 under the guaranteed maximum price of $898,000 for a cost of $877,000, Wiggins said. The total cost of the new facility including furniture will be around $1 million, he said.
The new library is part of a 3,500-square-foot addition that connects the north and south wings of the school, closing off a courtyard area.
"It's a great place for kids and teachers -- very bright," Wiggins said.
Other summer projects the district's maintenance department have completed include sealing and striping the Allen Elementary School parking lot and extending a sidewalk where buses load; moving a rock and bridge behind the intermediate school closer to the shade structure to create a park-like setting; re-tiling the cafeteria, office and entrance area at Southside Elementary School; and raising the roof of the band room in the middle school.
Additionally, maintenance employees completed extensive painting at every building in the district, both interior and exterior, and have also been busy mowing and cleaning, Wiggins said.
The school board took the following additional actions:
• Approved a beverage agreement with Ozarks Coca-Cola.
• Approved the 2018 transportation handbook.
• Accepted the resignation of Megan Beckham, high school special education teacher.
• Approved the transfer of one student to the Springdale School District and two students to the Gentry School District.
• Approved hiring Emily McClain, Southside Elementary School speech language pathologist.
• Approved emergency sick leave for one employee.
• Approved two new full-time positions in the transportation department
• Approved amendments to the summer hire list.
General News on 08/15/2018