To a fairly impressive list of technological aids, the West Side School District is considering more enhancements to push students into an increasingly tech-savvy world.
The district already has projection systems in classrooms, portable wireless laptop laboratories for use in buildings, and mini laptops. At the behest of John Long, elementary principal, the school district’s Board of Directors will soon be considering another infrastructure investment to combine service learning projects, technology, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Those are merged in an innovative program started in Arkansas called the EAST initiative, which stands for Environmental And Spatial Technologies.
Superintendent Steve Lucas is quite familiar with EAST. He was at Greenbrier High School when the project started by a teacher who wanted to challenge kids with learning projects that made a difference. Today, 215 schools in eight states have an EAST laboratory that serves about 70,000 students.
From mapping underground utilities to bus routes and creating blood pressure wrist bands, projects are as varied as the creativity of the students. They use high-powered computers and high-dollar software to identify a community problem and develop a solution. The benefits include, said Long as he made a pitch to the school board, teamwork, leadership, self-motivation, enhanced public-speaking, and self-directed learning.
He asked the board to be considering whether the district can make the minimum five-year commitment to EAST while relying on a grand program established by the Arkansas Department of Education. The state would be responsible for about $105,000, while the district would contribute about $25,000 plus a full-time employee.
Long would like EAST to start in grades 5-6, then see the program continued through high school.
During his monthly report to the school board on January 25, he mentioned a decidedly low-tech program that would enhance school offerings — archery. The state Game and Fish Commission has developed an archery education program for elementary- to high school-age students. Long hopes that the school, using funds collected from court costs in wildlife-related offenses, can lay the groundwork for such an after-school program to be started next year. Unrelated to school, he said there is also interest in establishing a local youth shooting program.
On the academic front, both Long and Rick Waters, high school principal, said that their schools have been recognized recently for student performance on standardized tests. The elementary school recently received incentive money from the state for gains in test performance; Waters said that the National Center for Educational Improvement recognized West Side High School as having some of the best literacy scores in Arkansas in grades 7-8, among all sizes of high schools.
Waters also announced that West Side received the bid to host one a Class 1A state regional basketball tournament in February.
During the January regular meeting, school board members learned that Lucas has located a company in Missouri that can dig holes for metal light poles at a cost of about $10,000. The 36-inch diameter holes are bigger than First Electric is able to dig — and these must go through a goodly amount of rock, which has pushed up the cost considerably higher than it otherwise might have been. One of the companies initially contacted would have increased its charge to $375 an hour to drill when hitting rock.
Board members are still trying to decide what to do about the concession stand. For the current size and design of a wooden structure, completely furnished, the cost easily exceed $200,000, said board member Johnny Tutor. While it would be cheaper to sub out individual portions of the construction, the board wants to bid out the entire concession stand as a turnkey job if it’s economically feasible.
“This needs to be a turnkey job because it’s a pretty big project,” said Paul Moore, president of the board. “Everyone has done a great job up to this point, but it’s time to hand over this job to one construction company.”
Waters, while not trying to cut corners, suggested the district consider a metal building for less cost.
That idea didn’t go far, and the board decided to advertise for bids to see how much the facility will cost.
The board also awarded Chris Davis Construction Company the bid to build four dugout roofs for $2,880.
In other business the board
Received kudos from Lucas for a job well done as the board was publicly recognized during School Board Appreciation Week;
Approved an engineering contract with Garland Engineering Services for the elementary/high school roof project at a cost of a little more than $10,000;
Learned that bids will be advertised next week on the roof and that it’s possible to begin the tear-off of the existing roof in April or May;
Extended Lucas’ contract two years to June 30, 2013, with a $2,500 a year raise. The vote was 4-1 with Tutor abstaining.
All board members were present.
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To a fairly impressive list of technological aids, the West Side School District is considering more enhancements to push students into an increasingly tech-savvy world.
The district already has projection systems in classrooms, portable wireless laptop laboratories for use in buildings, and mini laptops. At the behest of John Long, elementary principal, the school district’s Board of Directors will soon be considering another infrastructure investment to combine service learning projects, technology, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Those are merged in an innovative program started in Arkansas called the EAST initiative, which stands for Environmental And Spatial Technologies.
Superintendent Steve Lucas is quite familiar with EAST. He was at Greenbrier High School when the project started by a teacher who wanted to challenge kids with learning projects that made a difference. Today, 215 schools in eight states have an EAST laboratory that serves about 70,000 students.
From mapping underground utilities to bus routes and creating blood pressure wrist bands, projects are as varied as the creativity of the students. They use high-powered computers and high-dollar software to identify a community problem and develop a solution. The benefits include, said Long as he made a pitch to the school board, teamwork, leadership, self-motivation, enhanced public-speaking, and self-directed learning.
He asked the board to be considering whether the district can make the minimum five-year commitment to EAST while relying on a grand program established by the Arkansas Department of Education. The state would be responsible for about $105,000, while the district would contribute about $25,000 plus a full-time employee.
Long would like EAST to start in grades 5-6, then see the program continued through high school.
During his monthly report to the school board on January 25, he mentioned a decidedly low-tech program that would enhance school offerings — archery. The state Game and Fish Commission has developed an archery education program for elementary- to high school-age students. Long hopes that the school, using funds collected from court costs in wildlife-related offenses, can lay the groundwork for such an after-school program to be started next year. Unrelated to school, he said there is also interest in establishing a local youth shooting program.
On the academic front, both Long and Rick Waters, high school principal, said that their schools have been recognized recently for student performance on standardized tests. The elementary school recently received incentive money from the state for gains in test performance; Waters said that the National Center for Educational Improvement recognized West Side High School as having some of the best literacy scores in Arkansas in grades 7-8, among all sizes of high schools.
Waters also announced that West Side received the bid to host one a Class 1A state regional basketball tournament in February.
During the January regular meeting, school board members learned that Lucas has located a company in Missouri that can dig holes for metal light poles at a cost of about $10,000. The 36-inch diameter holes are bigger than First Electric is able to dig — and these must go through a goodly amount of rock, which has pushed up the cost considerably higher than it otherwise might have been. One of the companies initially contacted would have increased its charge to $375 an hour to drill when hitting rock.
Board members are still trying to decide what to do about the concession stand. For the current size and design of a wooden structure, completely furnished, the cost easily exceed $200,000, said board member Johnny Tutor. While it would be cheaper to sub out individual portions of the construction, the board wants to bid out the entire concession stand as a turnkey job if it’s economically feasible.
“This needs to be a turnkey job because it’s a pretty big project,” said Paul Moore, president of the board. “Everyone has done a great job up to this point, but it’s time to hand over this job to one construction company.”
Waters, while not trying to cut corners, suggested the district consider a metal building for less cost.
That idea didn’t go far, and the board decided to advertise for bids to see how much the facility will cost.
The board also awarded Chris Davis Construction Company the bid to build four dugout roofs for $2,880.
In other business the board
Received kudos from Lucas for a job well done as the board was publicly recognized during School Board Appreciation Week;
Approved an engineering contract with Garland Engineering Services for the elementary/high school roof project at a cost of a little more than $10,000;
Learned that bids will be advertised next week on the roof and that it’s possible to begin the tear-off of the existing roof in April or May;
Extended Lucas’ contract two years to June 30, 2013, with a $2,500 a year raise. The vote was 4-1 with Tutor abstaining.
All board members were present.
