USD235 sees plan for iPads

Uniontown USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold presented the first phase of his iPad implementation plan to the district board during its regular meeting on Monday night. He said more information will be presented to the board during the May meeting, when he plans to ask the board to approve the plan.

"Our district has planned to do a substantial technology upgrade for next year and the following year," Rockhold said. "We are pretty antiquated so far as the resources we have available relative to technology."

He said the district has looked at several options, including computers, laptops and interactive light boards.

"What we have determined as a committee of teachers, administrators and aides is that the best way to make the largest impact and have the end result be our children are more prepared for the future is the use of iPads," Rockhold said.

He said Phase One of the plan involves purchasing iPads at the end of this semester for all certified staff, purchase iPad minis for all the district's instructional support staff and all seniors in the 2014 graduating class.

He said that first phase would cost about $63,000, which would come from $48,000 in the general fund already budgeted for technology, $7,030 from a REAP grant (rural education achievement program) and $12,400 from the local option budget (LOB).

Phase one would see 103 iPads purchased for the district, should the board approve the initiative. He said seniors would have 24 hour use of the iPads. He said the proposal for 2014-2015 would be to put 10 iPads in the preschool for its 14 to 15 students to share. First through sixth grade students would each have their own unit, for use during school only. Seventh and Eighth graders would each have an iPad and the unit could be taken home, depending on assignments by their instructors that would require the unit leave the school. UHS students would each have their own to take home.

He said that second purchase would involve about 410 units, including a reserve of nine units at the cost of about $174,000. He said about $50,000 of that would come from the 2013-14 LOB, $30,000 from the 2014-2015 LOB, $17,000 from a REAP Grant and $10,000 from the sale of cookie dough, a longtime fundraiser in the district.

He said the remaining $67,000 would be paid through a three-year lease, with $17,000 each year being paid through a REAP grant and the remaining $6,600 each of those three years to be paid through the LOB.

He said the ultimate plan would be to replace the units every four years as technology advances and software for the iPads becomes obsolete. He estimates that in the long-term, the annual cost of the initiative would be about $55,612.

"Our district has been very conscientious for about the last eight years," Rockhold said. "We've built all these things that we need to maintain our educational programming into that (budget). Our district started saving money into contingency accounts seven years ago. Seven years ago we began planning and put money into reserves, so we will spend $60,000 from our reserve every year through 2018-2019."

He said a reduction in force that was initiated this year also has helped the district to the tune of about $120,000.

"At the end of 2011 we had a contingency reserve of about $1,066,000," Rockhold said. "We knew we would have to deficit spend through 2018, when our reserves will be down to $527,000."

He said about $325,000 would need to be set aside for payroll.

In other business, Rockhold said the district received a little damage from Sunday night's hailstorm, including a cracked windshield on one district vehicle and some leakage from a roof at the high school that was already in need of repair.

In other business:

*The board approved the retirements of tech director Gary Herrmann; Bugs George as transportation director, who will return to the district as a route driver; driver Judy Welchl; and Eva Broughton, a West Bourbon Elementary secretary, who will return to the district on a modified schedule.

*The board approved the resignation of teacher and coach Nathan Hinrichs, who has accepted the principal's position at Sedan High School.

*The board approved the hiring of Chris Blake, a UHS graduate who is returning to the district to teach middle school and high school science