Baldwin City school board to stick with iPads at BHS another year while studying other solutions

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? The Baldwin City school board agreed it would make its annual Baldwin High School iPad purchase at its April meeting, but directed staff to study options for the introduction of different technology for the 2018-2019 school year.

With the decision, board members agreed they will consider bids next month for the purchase of iPads for the incoming freshman class and that Baldwin High School seniors would have the option to purchase the tablets they have used since their freshman year.

In a continuation of a discussion from last month of exploring other high school technology options, the board members agreed they weren’t comfortable with the possible phase-out of iPads for other devices during the coming school year. That option would have recycled the iPads of 2017 BHS seniors to the incoming freshman class and made no purchase of new iPads for next year.

A problem with that option is that the class of 2017 has 41 fewer students than next year’s freshman class. Although some of the former BHS iPads passed on to the Baldwin Junior High School would be available for next year’s freshmen to use, the district would still have to purchase some new tablets, BHS Principal Rob McKim said. Board members were also uneasy with passing on 5-year-old devices to the incoming freshmen.

It also agreed the district would study other technology solutions for the high school before making a purchase next year. That study will include a technology cost-benefit analysis, visits to districts using Chromebooks and MacBook Air laptops, and discussion with BHS teachers about what has been gained with the iPads and their limitations. Superintendent Paul Dorathy said BHS faculty and patrons should understand no decision has been made to change from the iPads.

“One of the first questions from staff was, ‘We’re moving to something else, and we haven’t been asked?'” he said. “Staff needs to be a part of this (study), but they need to see the other options.”

The board also agreed not to pursue a sale of the district offices in the 700 block of Chapel Street at this time. Board member Greg Kruger said the board shouldn’t take that step until it knew how much it would cost to move the offices and district maintenance facility that share a metal building. He also said the district should wait to learn if district offices could be included in a possible community center located on district grounds, as has been proposed.

In February, board members were told it would cost an estimated $700,000 to $800,000 to build a 6,500-square-foot replacement structure on property the district owns northwest of the high school. Other district office relocation options include using existing space in district facilities, leasing office space or purchasing an existing building.

At board member Sandy Chapman’s suggestion, it was agreed the board go forward with the sale of the empty square block it owns north of the 500 block of Chapel Street. Board members agreed that would have to be done in an open bidding process with the board reserving the right to reject all bids.

In other business, the board:

• Accepted the resignation of board member Nicole Teller. She will serve through the board’s May 17 meeting before she and her family move to South Carolina. The board will appoint her replacement after that meeting in an open session. Teller was elected to her District 2, Position 1 seat in 2013 and would have been up for re-election in November.

• Agreed not to pass on to parents a $3.49 administrative fee the district’s new online enrollment service charges for payment of enrollment fees. Cynde Frick, district director of financial operations, also told the board that the new service does not allow for the $10 discount for early online enrollment the district offered in 2014 and 2015.