Maine Township District 207 has received the go-ahead to spend $1.8 million in the second year of an ambitious five-year technology plan.
Approval, however, didn’t come without strong reservations from board members Oscar Marquis and Ben Herman.
Marquis voted against 12 of the plan’s 20 items, saying computers and the Internet should not be mistaken for a “magic bullet” by the administration.
Herman voted against nine items, questioning whether such a large amount of money should be earmarked without detailed academic measures to justify the expense.
Included in the package are $264,000 for about 100 new staff computers, a nearly $400,000 upgrade of the district’s mainframe system, and money to hire a new technology staffer and purchase of new computers and audiovisual items for classroom and library use.
The district spent about $1.4 million on equipment last year, including computer lab upgrades at all three Maine high schools. An additional $1 million is expected to be spent during each of the next three years, according to district instruction director Suzanne Millies.
Millies said she understands the cost concerns, but insists the hefty investment is backed by plenty of research on the pros of bringing more technology to the classroom.
Moreover, she said, state and federal education officials, as well as businesses, are increasingly pressing schools to give students some technological know-how.
