Lynn V. Trenbeath, assistant superintendent, adds that a long-standing relationship between US West and the district, combined with strategic geographic placement in Utah's wiring infrastructure, helped the district get ahead of the technology curve. US West, in a request suggesting the company is not entirely unaware of Hughes' suggested marketing strategy, wanted to see a business plan from the district defining whether the lines were a viable vehicle to expand into the home market. The telephone company wanted to know if parents with DSL lines could access useful school information and whether working at home was a viable option for some employees. In Davis County, there are real concerns to make sure parents are part of the education system. He has already built a system for his district that permits parents to check grades for particular assignments and attendance.
Teachers take attendance and record grades on the school computer system.
Attendance information is available to authorized users moments after class begins. Teachers also frequently work from home, not only accessing the network but working collaboratively with other teachers, schools, and universities. Eventually, he hopes for a school without walls where all courseware is available at an acceptable speed at home or elsewhere. But the real payoff is near-instant access to the rich curriculum offerings on the web. It's lightning fast.