Superintendent: North Allegheny Technology Infrastructure "Falling Behind"

Toward the end of a 30-minute presentation to North Allegheny School Board members Wednesday night, Superintendent Dr. Raymond Gualtieri said something that prompted a few chuckles from the audience of approximately 100 people.

“When we have kindergarteners upset that we don’t have wireless at our elementary schools, we have a problem," Gualtieri said. He wasn't making a joke.

When it comes to infrastructure technology, Gualtieri said district is behind other districts, to the detriment of its students.

“The strategic perspective is that NA can continue to just slide by, make due, survive and stay the same," he said. "We’ve been doing that for the two years since I’ve been here, and I believe you were doing it in the years before I even got here. I’ve watched the competitive school districts that we compare ourselves to, I’ve watched the school districts that we don’t compare ourselves to move ahead of us. The time has come to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done with technology in the school districts."

The "bullet" he suggests is spending an additional $4 million, financed over five or seven years, to complete networking, add new wiring and the wireless network to all district building.

"It’s unbelievable what our kids are doing with less technology and opportunities than other kids," he said. "If we were to give them those other tools it’s mind-boggling what they could achieve."

Under his proposal, the middle school technology upgrades would be completed by the summer of 2013. The elementary schools and other buildings would be finished by the summer of 2015.

"We want to continue to be a lighthouse school district for Allegheny County," he said. "In the past other school districts have looked to us to see what needs to be done to model themselves after us. We are falling behind those people that are looking toward us."

What do you think of Dr. Gualtieri's proposal? Tell us in the comments box below?