ASHBURNHAM-WESTMINSTER REGIONAL
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2008
Compiled by Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Reporter

Top Story:

Ashburnham-Westminster Regional Schools Technology Coordinator Eric DeHays presented his goals for updating the school district's technology systems from creating a shared database of students' records to creating a library database accessible from home.

DeHays said the goal is to get a server for all of the schools to be able to share information, which will specifically help as students change schools.

He said two of the district's five school libraries are on a new program, and he hopes that by the end of the summer all of the libraries will be updated to a program that allows students to access the information from their home or other public computers.

"Even with the budget issues we have had, we've been able to update and make progress," DeHays said.

Some of the updates and the progress DeHays made did not cost the district any money but simply focused on recreating the district's technology committee, moving computers that were being replaced with new ones into other areas of the district to replace even older computers, as well as creating a shared network for a student information database.

DeHays also hopes to create individual log-ins for students and teachers. He said this provides for better security and faster access to information.

The district has started to lease the computers instead of buying computers in order to keep the technology moving forward. The School Committee has set aside a specific amount of funding in each budget to keep the program moving.

"The lease really seems to be working," DeHays said. "I really think the lease program needs to keep growing."

DeHays said another goal for next year is to update the technology-use guidelines. He said the current policy is good for the issues it covers but is slightly out of date.

In Other News:

• The School Committee voted to send a request to make girls' and boys' lacrosse a varsity sport next year to the subcommittee charged with that review process.

School Committee member Jamie Rheult brought the request from parents and coaches to the table and he said that he'd already explained to them that there was no money in the budget for the program, so if it was to run it had to be self-funded.

The program was created this year as a club sport, which means games were not sanctioned by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the teams cannot compete in district playoffs.

Rheult said the goal would be to have the subcommittee make a recommendation by the committee's July meeting. He wants that timeline so the students and the families have a chance to raise funds for the program.

• Supt. Michael Zapantis reported that the current trend of students using the school-choice option, which allows students to attend any public school they would like to regardless of their address, is trending in the right direction. He said more students are coming into the district (at numbers that go beyond the number of available slots) than students leaving the district to go to other districts.

Zapantis said there will be no slots open for out-of-district students applying to get in between kindergarten and eighth grade.