In three years, however, that grant runs out and Heights' link to the internet will need new funding, which is where the board of education will come in. The board of education, though, should be coming in right now. It is time for the board of education and the administration of both the high school and the district to emphasize the importance of technology in schools. The district technology committee, charged by the superintendent and composed of parents, teachers, administrators and technology professionals, provided the district with a detailed technology plan May 31 and the plan was discussed at the October 23 board meeting. Included are specific goals and dates but not costs.
Cost is a very important issue.
Bringing technology into classrooms on a large scale, as envisioned in the plan, will require significant funding and therefore the decision of how to act on the plan should not be a spontaneous one. Technology is moving at a tremendously rapid pace and the longer the district is without a productive, implemented plan, the harder it will be to catch up. The initial meetings, discussions and philosophizing are over. The road map to taking charge of technology in the district is in the board's lap. What remains is a decision.