Purchases

Your school board approved/spent/invested $181,600 of your money at the June meeting. The expense came under the category of updating the math curriculum in the schools.
In years gone past when money was a bit more available (Yes, Virginia, there was such a time.) it was standard practice to update curriculum on a five year revolving schedule. In theory, every major subject had an overhaul and purchased new books and other materials to update the subject every five years.
Conversations among board members ahead of the meeting lead me to believe this purchase would be postponed. Though we had been apprised that an extensive committee had worked on the proposal for nearly a year and that this was their recommendation, there were those among us, myself included, who believed this was a purchase that could be delayed for a year.
After all, most of us still use the same ten numbers we were taught a long time ago, and some of us still can tell what year a movie was produced by deciphering the X’s, L’s, I’s, C’s and V’s at the end of the movie. Though admittedly it’s a challenge to do algebra with those same letters in lower case.
By meeting time we had received an email from the central office that went in to more detail about the process, the need for updating based on changes in state requirements of skills mastered needed to be judged proficient and the fact that the updating schedule had been shifted to a six year cycle to save money. Other details combined to permit the passage of the resolution with hardly a question. And the satisfaction of knowing that changing the cycle had saved at least some of the taxpayer’s cash.
Such was not the case with the proposed purchase of computers to assure that every elementary teacher has a functioning and internet capable machine at their disposal as the 2008-09 school year begins. That $103,000 purchase was delayed pending receipt of more information and understanding of how those machines will integrate with our overall Information Technology system as it evolves to serve us better in the next few years.
The board still very much has as a goal to make those computers available to every elementary teacher just as soon as possible once we feel assured that the purchase is the best one for the future of the district and the wisest use of the taxpayer’s dollars. We recognize, however, that we only get to use money once. And we want to be responsible in that use.
The recent equipment/inventory auction held at North Hills School was a preparatory move to enable us to put the building up for auction should we choose to do so. Much unused and outdated equipment was sold and the auction services were generously donated by Williams Auction Service. Thank you.
Speaking of donations, we regularly get them and acknowledge them at board meetings by resolutions of appreciation. We recently received a $1,000 cash donation from the Marietta Area Community Tennis Association along with a commitment to provide an additional $2,000 in labor to assist in maintaining the school’s tennis courts adjacent the Marietta Times. Again, much appreciated and given in a spirit of community.
While at this time there is no specific plan in mind for the North Hills building, a public meeting will be held Monday July 14 at 6:00 PM at the Administration Office to discuss the subject with interested parties. We invite your participation.