How to Spend $12.4 million: St. Michael-Albertville School District Explains Their Technology Investments

The computer in your cell phone today is a million times cheaper, a thousand times more powerful and about a hundred thousand times smaller than the one computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1965. With the pace of technological advancement growing exponentially, how important do you think technology is in preparing our local students for their future careers-and how big of a financial role should the district play in providing access to cutting-edge technology?

Wayne Hoistad, technology director for the St. Michael-Albertville school district, hosted a recent meeting to talk technology: what the district has done with the $12.4 million they have invested in technology over the past decade, and what they need to do to improve upon or continue their current offerings.

In the past 10 years, the district has completed their goal of installing an interactive whiteboard (Smartboard) and projector in every classroom. They purchased enough computers so there is now one computer for every 2.64 students district-wide. New equipment includes student response clickers, mobile computer labs, video production equipment, industrial technology equipment, video conferencing capabilities and the Ties School View system.

Translation on a couple of these: student response clickers allow teachers to quiz students and have them answer using their handheld clicker. Students’ responses are instantly displayed to the instructor. Ties School View is a way for parents to more actively monitor their child’s academic performance through accessing their grades electronically, their attendance history, their discipline history and their school lunch account. School lunch money can be added electronically and other fees can be paid.

“There’s just a need for students in the future, and they need to be able to learn that in their growing years,” STMA parent Chrissie Markson said of having access to technology in the schools. “It’s just going to make them more successful.”

Hoistad found this to be a common sentiment among the district’s parents, who in a recent survey said that learning and having technology in the schools was either “absolutely essential” (71 percent) or “very important” (24 percent).

In order to maintain their current technology, the school district’s technology budget analysis showed that they must spend $1.7 million per year. That equals out to between three and four percent out of a $41 million annual budget. This number doesn’t include any additional funds for introducing new technology to the mix.

The meeting drew a small crowd of about 30 people, despite informing district parents in a number of ways, and attendees brought this issue up at meeting’s end. Attendee Michael Verhulst made the point that more people are going to need to know this information if the district wants community support for technology funding, which may possibly need to be bolstered by an upcoming levy referendum.

“There are more people that have to care about this, because it’s going to affect their pocketbook,” Verhulst said. “How can we get the word out so more people can weigh in with the education needed to weigh in?”

Attendees suggested a stronger push on the district’s part to providing this information online, possibly through live web seminars, in order to give people the information even if they can’t physically attend the meeting.

For those who missed the meeting and would like more information, click on this link to learn more.