Last year voters decided we shouldn't be spending an additional $100,000 per year to complete a major upgrade to computer systems.  This year the district has decided not to ask you for the money they have simply inserted it into the budget so you have no choice.  How can we reduce our budget and still provide our children with the best computers?  Read this article to find out.

After voters defeated last year’s technology funding, I had a meeting with Superintendent Marie Ross.  I discussed some of the possibilities of maximizing the district’s technology funds through the use of free open-source software and low cost thin-client computer terminals.  I also expressed the importance of moving the district away from dependence on any specific operating system (Mac or Windows.) The following day I sent her an email with links to some resources.  And though she seemed interested in those things at that time, when I met with her and Kristen Patterson last week to discuss the new technology budget, I was disappointed to learn that nothing appears to have been done to move the district in that direction. The Bow School District is a good example of how to use these technologies to maximize funds.  Bow has a student population of approximately 1,750 compared to Newfound with 1,500.  First, here's an excerpt from Bow’s technology plan which will help you understand how this technology works:

The use of Microsoft’s Terminal Server technology has allowed the District to repurpose older equipment as thin clients wherever appropriate. With this technology, the applications required by faculty and students are installed on a fast server, which is centrally located in the District’s server farm. Terminal Client software is installed and run on the older equipment, which allows the repurposed machines to act as dumb terminals. The user manipulates the mouse and keyboard on the old slow machine, but all of the software is actually executed on the fast server, which then sends display information back to the user. In effect, the old machine, which was due to be disposed of, now runs as well as a new machine for the fraction of the cost of purchasing a new machine. Including these thin clients, BowNET supports 607 workstations, which provide a 3:1 student to computer ratio.

Newfound’s ratio is 6:1 Here is another excerpt:

Class size (especially at the middle and high school level) has increased since we moved over to using laptops as classroom computers. Thus we need to increase the number of laptops in each grade level cart to provide one computer per student when used as a classroom lab. However, we have successfully piloted the use of Terminal Server with the laptops and can repurpose many of our older laptops as thin clients. This allows an increase in the number of classroom computers with no increase in the total budget. 

According to this plan, Bow has 360 thin client computer connected to 4 Terminal Server computers.  With today’s lower cost hardware this can reduce the cost to less than $100 per computer.  The other benefit to this configuration is that it takes fewer personnel to manage those systems since most changes are made to the single central computer.  Bow has also instituted a program for residents to donate older computers which they will use to increase the number of total computers at little or no cost. 

Average selling price of pc’s in 2002 was $1,030.  That has declined every year and in 2005 it was only $744 (Source: IDC.)  The figures for 2006 are not out yet but they will undoubtedly be lower.  Likewise, laptops have declined in price and the average dropped from $852 in 2005 to $701 in 2006.  Bow has estimated the replacement costs of student desktop computer at $900 each and the cost of a teacher’s at $1000.  Their proposed technology budget for 2007-2008 is $281,209 which is slightly lower than the previous year.  Because of our reliance on Mac systems we are paying a substantially higher price for our systems.  The good news is that Macs can be turned into dumb terminals that run Windows software, so all those old Macs can be used.

Another large cost to the district is software.  Many schools across the country, including Bow, are using open-source software.  I believe there was a request for $60,000 in our budget for a new student information system.  There are open source alternatives for this which could save the district money.  I have researched the sis market and don’t know of any that are priced as high as the amount requested.  I would like to see our current sis, which is MacSchool, replaced but it certainly isn’t necessary since the current system still works, but if we do replace it we should look at free alternatives first.

Microsoft Office has been replaced in many schools by open office, a free alternative.  This could be used on all systems (including Macs) except for the business lab machines.  There are some great resources here in NH for open source software in schools.  http://www.k12opensource.org/ is in Exeter, the website provides information, links and even a cost comparison chart showing which software can be replaced and how much a school can save.  The Seacoast Professional Development Center in Exeter, NH hosts open source workshops throughout the year.

One of the items in the budget is for a wireless network to connect district computers together.  The technology we are pursuing is based on microwaves.  In this scenario we will build a tower at the middle school to beam a microwave to a tower on pinnacle hill in New Hampton then down to the high school.  Microwave technology uses a method called “direct line of sight”, receivers and transmitters must see each other in order for the signal to reach its destination.  Between the federal licensing (microwave radiation is regulated) and the cost of towers and equipment this can be quite expensive.  This type of network works best in areas without many hills or obstructions.  Even if the plan were to work for the proposed buildings (high school, middle school Bristol elementary and sau office) I doubt that we will ever be able to link Danbury or Bridgewater.  These systems are fairly reliable but they are susceptible to fog and the buildup of ice or snow on the equipment.  In my opinion this plan has not been researched very well and money should not be appropriated until further study is done.

There is an alternative that can be used to connect the downtown locations at a very low cost in comparison.  Systems like this that use radio signals have become more powerful using new technology.  They don’t require a line of site and their range can go as far as 30 miles.  Here’s a page from a vendor’s website: http://www.gnswireless.com/GNS1428.htm

I don’t believe that the district needs more technology staff, we just need to be more efficient with what we have, just like other districts.  

It’s been my experience that organizations with lots of resources; that spend money freely don’t always get the best results.  This is a good example.  Our students are suffering with a 6:1 ratio of students to computers and a district with a budget of $280K and 1750 students is outperforming us by 2:1.  What we need is a new direction, not more money.  Though you and I may be able to afford another tax increase we should be aware of those who can’t.  I’ve already heard of people saying they are going to have to sell their homes because of recent tax increases.  We need to consider the poor and elderly on fixed incomes.  Our children won’t suffer from cutting the technology budget and asking for our employees to take us in a new direction, they will benefit from it just as much as taxpayers will.