SAD 63 to replace 24 lab computers

EDDINGTON – The computers in Holbrook Middle School’s computer lab are so old that the SAD 63 school committee decided Monday to replace them, using surplus funds from the 2004-05 budget.

“All the computers in there are seven years old,” board member Carolyn Miller said before she made the motion to replace them. “We do have some money left.”

The board voted to replace the 24 desktop computers in the lab with iMacs, which are a brand of Apple computers, and approved funds for two laptop computers that will be used by the district’s technology coordinator and technology teacher.

“These are state-of-the-art iMacs,” Gary Gonyar, principal at Holbrook school, said. “The laptops will enable [the technology coordinator and teacher] to do their work anywhere, including [at] home.”

The new computers are student-friendly and come installed with a good selection of software.

“We bargain shopped at four locations” for compatible computers, Business Manager Yvonne Mitchell told the board.

The board decided to order the iMac computers through the University of Maine, which offered the cheapest price, Mitchell said. The board set a $45,000 limit on spending for the new lab computers.

During the meeting, the board also:

. Hired George Cummings as technology coordinator for the district and Betsy Beardsley as the reading recovery teacher.

. Heard the start of the fall prekindergarten program will be delayed by a week while construction is finished on the portable classroom that will house the program this year.

. Accepted the final report from Justin Cole, outgoing district technology coordinator, that suggests an ambitious maintenance and replacement cycle for the district’s computers. Cummings, the newly hired tech coordinator, will review and update Cole’s report.

. Held the first reading of 13 new or updated policies. All need to return to the board for final approval.

. Decided to start accepting committee, principal and other reports together, under one motion at future meetings. This move will allow administrators to leave the meeting once their reports are accepted, Chairman Don Varnum said. Concerns about public access to the reports spurred Cummings to offer posting them on the district’s Web site, which the board endorsed.