Grant boosts schools' technology

Sisters schools have received a financial shot in the arm that will help them upgrade computers, provide the elementary and middle schools with a tele-phone/intercom system and make necessary building repairs.

The Sisters School District is the beneficiary of a one-time Classroom Needs Grant from the state Department of Education totaling between $101,000 and $102,000.

According to Superintendent Steve Swisher, about $24 or $25,000 will be used to repair the elementary and middle school roofs.

Swisher said that $5,000 to $6,000 is being spent to buy telephones with intercoms for the elementary school and the middle school.

Somewhere between $20,000 and 25,000 will be used to "continue to upgrade computers," Swisher said, and about $10,000 has been used to purchase new computers.

That includes the cost of wiring telephones and computers and purchasing related technology necessary to link all the computers to a network.

The balance of the grant will be used to purchase textbooks, notably in the areas of math, science and Spanish. The district may also have enough money to begin a social studies pilot project.

The grant is based on a designated amount per student. The district had hoped to receive about $105,000, but enrollment was down so the district was awarded less money.

But what that money can buy will directly benefit students. From their perspective, the computers may be the most exciting addition.

"The middle school now has a very nice Macintosh computer lab, and all three schools are connected via computer," Swisher said.

"Two of the 10 computers we purchased are special, high-end machines," high school teacher Jon Renner explained. "They allow us to do digital video, which is used principally in video editing and production."

Renner noted that "having digital video puts us ahead of the curve," although he believes the other computer additions only "allow us to take a step forward to where we should be.

"We can now offer Auto Cad 14, which are standard building and engineering field programs," Renner said. "Up until now we haven't had anything powerful enough to run the programs."

He said the high school will offer a class in "Visual C++", a standard programming language.

Students aspiring to become graphic artists, Renner noted, will be pleased to learn that the high school acquired "the full Corel suite of programs, which includes drawing and art programs and a digital sketch pad."

The Outlawnet facilities have been moved and enlarged. Outlawnet will have repair benches and storage facilities. Leslie Bushnell, Outlawnet's director, will move from last year's office - an old paint locker - to a room with a window.