NCSD board approves $46K technology purchase

Before Newton Community School District Technology Supervisor Dan Sloan could get to the E.J.H. Beard Administrative Center boardroom podium during Monday’s meeting to talk about ordering new hardware, someone else asked to speak about technology.

Oliver Miller, of Kellogg ,signed up to speak during the public forum portion of Monday’s regular NCSD Board of Education meeting on Monday, using his time to denounce technology, as he feels it ruins humans’ ability to relate to one another.

“It seems we can’t decide to use toilet paper or add ‘one plus one’ without some sort of device,” Miller said. “Most technology passed its point of usefulness awhile ago. I think we’re losing more and more of the human side of people, and we wonder why there’s so much crime — so much violence. Is technology the answer to that also? Do we need more cops killing people? It’s just one more thing for people to have to struggle with, and think that they have to have it.”

Later in the meeting, Sloan gave a report on various technology efforts around the district, and later made a presentation to the board about plans for the district to purchase interactive projectors.

No one addressed Miller’s comments during the meeting. The board ended up voting unanimously to approve a purchase of 20 Epson Brightworks 595wi interactive projectors, totaling about $46,000, to use in schools with one going to each grade level in the four K-4 schools in the district.

“There are about 17 projectors that need some level of servicing anyway,” Sloan said.

The technology supervisor said an order has been placed for equipment that will improve WiFi strength at Newton High School, discussed printing capabilities and changes in the district, and went over the inventory of iPads and other devices.

“The most common damage issue with iPads is a cracked screen from dropping it,” Sloan said. “But I’ve seen all sorts of damage, including a student intentionally running over one with a car to test the strength of the case.”

In other action Monday, the board:

• Heard a report from transportation supervisor Curt Roorda. Bus times and stops cannot be completed until the upcoming registration process reveals the exact residences of bus riders in the district. He said some of the morning routes might need to start as early as 6:30 a.m.

• Heard a report from board member Josh Cantu about recent activities of the Berg Complex Bond Committee. The committee, which participated in Newton’s recent Fourth of July events and made other public appearances, is charged with promoting a “yes” vote on the Sept. 13 general obligation bond.

• Unanimously approved a resolution adopting the latest version of the Jasper County Multi-Jurisdictional Plan, as presented by Jasper County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Sparks.

• Approved Hiland Dairy and Bimbo/Sara Lee as the 2016-17 providers of dairy and bread products to NCSD.

• Heard a report from the district’s maintenance supervisor, Jack Suttek, who took time to praise his staff for all their hard work on reconfiguration and other efforts this summer, especially Don Schnoebelen and a handful of others. Suttek said he’ll be in touch with building principals this week to talk about when the moving will be finished up. He also talked about carpeting replacements in the first floor of Emerson Hough that were more expensive than expected, and said no major work was done on Berg Middle School lockers because “I’m confident we’re going to get a new school,” referring to his prediction of the Sept. 13 bond vote outcome.

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