School Technology Replacements Could Start in January

New technology could start to be implemented in Medford Public Schools as soon at January 2012, Mayor Michael McGlynn said Thursday.

But first the proposal will have to go through a public input process, McGlynn said, which started Thursday night in a school technology committee meeting at Medford High School.

"I don't have a plan, it's going to be the same way we did the (elementary and middle) schools where it was citizen-driven," McGlynn said.

The plan calls for $4 million to be spent to replace computers that are 9 to 12 years old, improve school technology infrastructure and bring about 1,400 computers to the district that would allow for one-to-one computing in classrooms.

But the plan doesn't include providing each student with a laptop or tablet they could take home and use over the summer, Stephen Kelley a consultant with TECedge, a company the city hired to review its school technology improvement plan.

TECedge took a proposal prepared by the school technology committee and revised it to fit to a $4 million budget, Kelley said. The original plan would have cost about $7.5 million.

The first phase, which would cost $2 million, would be part of a bond the city is preparing that will include other city projects, McGlynn said. As currently proposed, the first plan would upgrade over 2,000 computers in the district with 514 refurbished desktop computers and over 1,400 new laptops.

"This isn't the only thing in the bond issue, there are many things, so it has be a balanced plan acceptable to the whole community," he said.

About 90 percent of computers in the school district are 9 years old or older, Kelley said. Schools have not been replacing equipment due to the tough economy, Superintendent Roy Belson said.

"Going forward, there has to be a (budget) line item," Belson said.

Several Technology Committee members and school committee members said they were disappointed that one-to-one computers was no longer part of the plan, but Kelley said he was given $4 million to work with by the mayor, and that isn't enough to address the other needs of the district and give every student a device.

"I think it’s a good idea, it's just its an expensive idea and I didn’t think the resources are available," Kelley said.

A district can expect to spend about 20 percent of the cost of its total infrastructure in maintainance, Kelley said.

The proposal is expected to be discussed by the school committee in coming weeks.

Read the entire report on the school technology committee website.