School to go ‘wireless’
By Suzanne Werre, BHG News Service
After multiple school board members had trouble connecting to the internet at last Tuesday night’s regular board meeting, it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing from technology coordinator Lee Weisgarber to get the board to approve some upgrades to the school’s computer system. One of the problems the students and staff have been encountering throughout the year, and what the board members themselves experienced as they prepared for the meeting, was the inability to connect to the internet because too many computers were trying to connect through the same access point. The board unanimously approved Weisgarber’s request for updates to the school’s computer system, which includes the purchase of 25 ByteSpeed laptops for a new media center in the library, 20 Apple iPads plus a MacBook Air laptop with PowerSync Cart, and replacement of the old network switches with 1 GB switches with wireless access points to cover the entire school for an estimated $63,800. Weisgarber said he would check to see if the wireless access could be installed right away this summer. After seeing the school’s year-end balance at just under $1.5 million, the board also approved giving year-end bonuses to the teaching staff, with $2000 bonuses going to each of the full-time teachers, and $100 bonuses going to the teachers who are at 60 percent or less. Raises were also approved for the business manager, head custodian and superintendent.
