NCSD board discusses student-to-device ratios

How many iPads, Chromebooks and other devices does the Newton Community School District need at each grade level? And how many devices should be around the district’s youngest learners?

Those were two questions discussed at length Monday night during the NCSD’s only regular meeting of December. The 2.5 hour meeting, held in the Emerson Hough building’s conference room, covered a number of important topics, even though many were not action items.

One item that was only up for discussion was a purchase schedule and student-to-device technology ratio. While the district has had extensive discussions in the past couple of years in putting together a technology plan, there still might be more to talk about in the months ahead.

“We do have some older laptops that we’ve re-conditioned that were staff-use,” NCSD Technology Supervisor Chris Bieghler. “We put a band-aid on it, put in a classroom and it can be used to get on the Internet. Some of those computers are nine years old. To me, those aren’t usable devices.”

Bieghler’s primary concern, however, was meeting student ratios regarding devices, as requested by teachers and principals. While there was no argument that the high school ratio should be at or near 1:1 and the middle school not far behind, the discussion got more interesting when the lower grades were mentioned.

While there is currently a 40-student discrepancy between the district’s two kindergarten-through-third-grade schools (reconfiguration proposals could change that), the board president and one board member voiced concerns about how much technology young gradeschoolers should have in a classroom.

“Do we have any research on our K-3 buildings?” said board president Sheri Benson. “I’m beginning to read a lot of pushing back against a lot of technology for young learners. Before we continue to ramp up devices in our K-3 buildings, can we do some more internal research on that?”

Bieghler said there had been no data exchanged or discussions on that topic, but he will locate some. Board member Robyn Friedman said she and Benson recently attended a school board convention breakout session that addressed technology among young age groups. Board member Bill Perrenhoud wondered aloud exactly how much use the district is getting out of each device in K-3 classrooms.

At last Thursday’s special work session, the board discussed two new reconfiguration proposals, returning the Emerson Hough to being a regular elementary school and what will likely be expensive modernizations to the aging Berg complex. The work session didn’t involve public discussion or comments, and there were no votes planned or taken.

The board’s first regular meeting of 2015 is set for Jan. 12 at Emerson Hough. The School Improvement Advisory Committee is set to meet Jan. 8.

Superintendent Bob Callaghan said items likely to be discussed in January will be the 2015-16 school calendar, possible district reconfiguration and major work to be done on the Berg complex. Also on Monday, the board:

• Heard the first reading of Wellness Policy 504.11 from Food Service Supervisor Cristy Croson. She not only read the policy but went over the district’s progress level on several fronts of the battle to keep non-nutritious items out of the hands of students. Croson cited ways staff can encourage nutrition and fitness, such as staff “wellness walks.”

•In two separate items regarding asbestos the board, chose a contractor to remove the material from the recently purchased former Hy-Vee building and heard a report from Callaghan regarding the Berg complex. REW Services of Ankeny was the chosen bidder, and will remove asbestos from the now-empty Hy-Vee building at a district cost of $32,294. Callaghan said a firm is taking longer than expected to inventory all the asbestos in hidden and modified sections of Berg, but was adamant that it is “non-friable,” and completely contained, and no staff or students are at risk.

• Changed a definition in the district’s Newton Community Education Association contract to prioritize what order sick time, vacation time, personal days and other time off will be used.

• Acknowledged Indianola as the latest invitee to join the Little Hawkeye Conference for activities, replacing recently departed Knoxville. It was not known at press time if the Indians had decided to leave the Central Iowa Metro League for the LMC.

• Newton High School principal Bill Peters went over the proposed courses to be added and dropped next year. Principles of Biomedical Science, Computer Programming I and II, Advanced Placement French and Spanish, Introduction to Journalism and Graphic Design and a newly paced version of Algebra II will be added, while Stagecraft, Art Appreciation, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Graphic Design 1 and 2 and Math for Liberal Arts will be dropped.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com