School Sites Get Technology Windfall

By Sam Miller, The Orange County Register, Calif.

Mar. 29–A one-time grant that state lawmakers gave directly to schools has let south-county schools spend millions of dollars on computers and other technology this year.

The one-time discretionary block grant in the 2006-07 state budget provides $75 per student. Three-fourths, or $56, goes directly to schools; the rest goes to school districts.

For Las Flores Middle School, that means $86,000 — enough to replace old computers, pay for training in literacy and buy software aimed at teaching content standards in new ways.

“We haven’t really had money like this since 1974 — not in California,” Las Flores Principal Holly Feldt said. “We want to make it last, because we don’t know if we’ll ever get it again.”

The funding, known as the one-time discretionary block grant, resulted from a compromise between the state Assembly and the state Senate in this year’s budget. The state economy was strong, and schools were getting millions more from extra tax revenue. The Senate wanted to give the money to districts; the Assembly said it should go to schools.

“Members generally felt that the kind of things they expected to be purchased with this — stuff like staff development or computers — those were kinds of things that are specific to a school,” said Rick Simpson, an aide to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles. “Let the actors at the school site figure out what they need.”

Ultimately, they split the difference, giving schools a windfall for one-time expenditures they can rarely afford.

At most south-county schools, that means new technology. Thirty-eight of 39 Capistrano Unified School District schools that responded to a survey will buy technology, most often new laptops for computer labs or teachers.

The district will use its part of the grant to match school-site funds in replacing computers older than five years.

“We received maintenance (funds) to take care of buildings and facilities, but we don’t get any money to take care of the equipment,” said Scott Sexsmith, the district’s chief management information officer. “It generally falls on school sites to maintain their technology based on grants, or the PTA. It’s a very unique opportunity.”

At Lake Forest Elementary School in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, the grant means new laptops for 35 teachers who had none. Now they can do online report cards and input grades from home.

“It’s hard to find money to run a school, much less buy laptops for people,” Principal Michelle Vaught said. “This is a miracle.”

TECHNOLOGY BUYS

Some local purchases:

Laguna Beach Unified

–New reading series and classroom furniture at El Morro Elementary School

–Tutorial program called “Response to Instruction” at Top of the World Elementary School

Saddleback Valley Unified

–35 laptops for teachers at Lake Forest Elementary School

–”Smart slates” — mobile notebook-size monitors that teachers and students can write on and project onto screens — at La Paz Intermediate School

Capistrano Unified

–Mobile laptop lab at Las Palmas Elementary School

–Class sets of novels, school lockers and guest-speaker fees for professional development at Newhart Middle School

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Orange County Register, Calif.

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