SAD 24 board favors teachers having laptops

VAN BUREN – Despite the opposition of some SAD 24 parents, the school board has agreed to use grant money to put laptops in the hands of local teachers.

With a petition carrying a reported 165 signatures, parents last week told the school board to use the money for other school programs instead of laptops for teachers.

The school board disagreed.

SAD 24 has enough grant money – about $90,000 – to purchase laptop computers for 45 of its 55 teachers. Superintendent Clayton Belanger said Monday he would need $110,000 to purchase the computers for all teachers.

“The school board approved the program for the money we have in hand,” Belanger said Monday. “They also left the question open, so we can return to them when we have more money.

“My task now is to find more grant money to fund the entire program; that is another 10 computers and maintenance money,” Belanger continued. “I think we may be able to get the remaining money by mid-January.”

Prior to last week, Belanger’s program to put laptop computers in the hands of all teachers received concept approval from the board of directors. A district technology committee formed last year had approved the proposal. Teachers also are in favor of the program, Belanger said.

Most of the money acquired, according to Belanger, is for specific uses, in this case, laptops for teachers. Not using the money for the project would mean turning the money back to agencies approving the concept.

Some of the grants could have been changed, he said. It would have meant negotiations with the agencies approving the grants.

Belanger has been proud to say that the program would not be funded with state school subsidies, nor with local property tax money. He said between $100,000 and $120,000 will be needed to purchase and maintain the units.

“All the money will come from sources other than operating money,” he said.

“We talked about the governor’s proposal for laptops for seventh-graders, and we believe teachers should have them first,” Belanger continued. “Teachers need to learn about them and use them before they can teach the kids.”

While waiting to find more money, Belanger said, the technology committee will work on specifications for the computers. The district also will start computer in-service sessions for teachers.

A big question will be who receives the first 45 computers the district will purchase. One quarter of the district’s teachers will be on hold while an extra $20,000 in grants is found.

“It will be difficult to decide who gets the first computers,” Belanger said. “We will have to find a way.”