Plainfield School District

Plainfield School Board Meeting

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Plainfield Elementary School

MINUTES

The meeting was called to order at 6:34 pm. Present were Board members Reynolds, Bucklin, Cogan, Ferguson, and Forman. Also present were Superintendent Collins, Principal Langsner, Mary Cantlin, and members of the Plainfield Technology Group (PTG).

Business for Discussion and/or Action

A.    Technology Recommendations

Principal Langsner and Technology Coordinator Cantlin recommend a three-year technology plan that requires funding. This recommendation must be addressed before the coming school year; hence, this special meeting with the Board.

The plan suggests that we abandon the Linux operating system in the computer laboratory and replace it with the Macintosh operating system. The Linux operating system will continue to work in the background on the various servers; the change from Linux to Macintosh occurs only in the computer laboratory. The request for funding is for the purchase of approximately twenty (20) Mac-Minis (a three-year lease beginning August 2007) for the laboratory. At the end of the three-year lease, the school will own all of the new hardware and software installed in the computer laboratory. The current budget (2007-2008) supports the funding for the first year of the lease; the second and third years of the lease increase anticipated technology expenditures by $7,791.72 each year. The following reasons were presented in support of the transition:

·         Macintosh technical support is part of the three-year lease. Our current resources will find troubleshooting day-to-day challenges in the laboratory and classrooms easier because of immediate, contracted technical support, and due to the technology coordinator’s greater familiarity with the Mac operating system and applications versus the Linux platform and open source applications. The volunteer members of the PTG have been available (and greatly appreciated) to solve these issues in the past, but not always immediately available during the day due to the fact they all work full-time jobs.  The coordinator’s inability to solve all issues and the lack of contracted technical support has resulted in downtimes when the computers are not available to the students and staff.

·         The Mac Minis come equipped with and/or support all the various software applications necessary to comply with New Hampshire Department of Education Ed 306.42 (Technical Advisory #2 distributed January 2007) which requires “an integrated approach to the use of 21^st century tools, including, but not limited to digital technology and communication tools, within all curriculum areas through the adoption of information and communication technologies literacy (ICT) program in grades K-12 that provides opportunities at developmentally appropriate levels for students.” The open source tools currently available are not sufficient to meet all of these requirements.

·         The Macintosh operating system and software should provide more reliable and faster running applications and a better interface, with and transfer of files between, computer lab and classroom computers.

·         There is difficulty finding open source applications for the unified arts subjects―especially music. This is not the case with the Macintosh platform.

·         The current professional staff is more knowledgeable and familiar with the Macintosh environment than Linux. It is estimated that less than 5 percent of New Hampshire schools currently use a Linux operating system and open source software. The vast majority of New Hampshire schools use either Macintosh or Microsoft platforms.

In addition, the recommendation calls for the termination of our contract with Skycasters and a change to Comcast as our internet provider, at a considerable yearly savings.

Several concerns were raised about the recommendations including the following:

• This funding request takes place at a special meeting outside the normal budgeting cycle. It should have been presented earlier, not at this late date.
• An incomplete explanation and analysis of the technical difficulties of the last six months was presented.
• Cost: the second and third years of the lease increase anticipated technology expenditures by $7,791.72 each year .
• It appears that the current Linux environment and available open source applications can comply with ED 306.42.
• There was an incomplete exploration of other solutions to the current situation.

After more than an hour discussion (with information and opinion offered by the PTG), and upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted 3 to 2 (Cogan, Ferguson, Reynolds to Bucklin, Forman) in favor of this recommendation.

B.     Update on Summer Projects

Superintendent Collins offered the following progress report as the fire safety modifications and related projects are made to our school building:

·         The fire retardant paint has been applied to all wood walls in all parts of the building. We have a certificate that proves the application was successfully made.

·         Volunteers and many teachers have been applying a final coat over the now-fire-retardant walls.

·         The sprinkler pipes are almost completely installed on the ceilings. At this time, the remaining ceiling pipe installation is expected to be completed on schedule.

·         The trench and underground piping from the main water source to the building (terminus is in the kindergarten room) is complete and scheduled for testing by the first week in August. An enclosure for the interior valves/pipes will be constructed (with access doors) floor to ceiling. The water from this new underground pipe must be tested for bacteria. That test has been scheduled and can occur before or after the complete test of the installed fire sprinkler system.

·         The money from the bond is in our bank (less the $5000 processing fee to the bond bank). The interest is 4% for the first four years and 4.25% for the last year.

·         There will be new lighting fixtures installed in the hallway outside the 7/8 area.

·         Insulation (to decrease heat loss during cold months) and related carpentry is in progress and on schedule.

·         Fire retardant window shades are expected to be delivered and installed by the end of August.

·         Replacement carpeting in the front hall will be installed by the end of August.

Various other maintenance projects and issues were discussed―all are on schedule and within budget. Of note is the on-going Blood’s Brook erosion project that borders portions of our athletic fields. That project cannot be completed this summer or fall because of various permitting and wet land paper work requirements.

Superintendent Collins led a walk-through of the parts of the building that have been affected by the work this summer.

Non-public Session

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to go into non-public session pursuant to NH RSA 91-A:3,II(a)(e) at 8:54 pm. The Board discussed personnel issues.

Return to Public Session

Upon a motion made and seconded, the School Board voted unanimously to return to public session at 9:50 pm. No action was taken.

Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 9:51 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Myra Ferguson

Board Member