Rocky View Schools (RVS) is set to invest close to $4 million in technology upgrades over the next three years, including more than $1 million currently budgeted for the 2015/16 school year.
Planned upgrades were pinpointed as part of a review conducted by IBM staff, and involved a series of meetings with RVS IT workers and visits to local schools.
“The IBM crew produced a report that showed 10 areas that we have as initiatives that we need to be paying attention to and investing in,” RVS Superintendent of Schools Don Hoium said.
“We need to ensure that infrastructure is stable and robust.”
Among the priorities identified in the report was a focus on “evergreening” school networks and wireless access. The practice of evergreening technology refers to replacing old products and services after they become outdated.
Of the projected costs scheduled over the next three years, more than $2 million will be allocated to evergreening school networks and wireless access.
“The goal of our work is to ensure every student in the classroom has resources – (technology) is becoming a utility,” said Kevin Wttewaall, director of technology for learning with RVS. “It needs to work properly, seamlessly.”
Other projects identified in the report include upgrading email systems and refining RVS help desk processes. Email and wireless access upgrades will be among focuses for the current school year, while website upgrades will be a focus for the 2016/17 school year.
Wttewaall said properly-functioning and reliable school technology was essential for all students, but pinpointed specific technologies like voice to text software as being crucial learning supports.
“Our students that need assisted technologies (such as) help with writing, that’s all there to support their learning,” he said. “Our team understands why we’re all here.”
The current projected costs cover upgrades up until the 2017/18 school year, but future upgrades will be dictated by changes in technology and associated classroom needs.
“As a board, we’re always talking about funneling down the money to the classrooms to the kids so the kids are the recipient of the biggest bucket of funding,” Trustee Bev LaPeare said. “Technology is a huge investment in their education.”
