Elgin school officials have approved an assessment of computer needs for the district.
Currently, Unit School District 46 is working with 12-year-old software and 8-year-old hardware that is obsolete and at capacity, Robert Kaup, director of data processing, said at a board meeting this week.
Though the system does the job of keeping student and financial records, the rapid growth of the district will soon necessitate a larger computer system, Kaup said. The present system cannot be expanded to carry the additional load, he said.
District data processing personnel will do the assessment with one additional temporary employee at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $15,000, Kaup said. Having computer consultants do the work could have cost the district up to $120,000, according to an estimate received by the district.
Officials expect the assessment to be completed this spring, and a new computer system could be phased in over 2 to 4 years, spreading the financial burden, Kaup said.
