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RANDOLPH – The Randolph School Board approved upgrades to technology and curriculum with most of both expenses covered by federal funds.
Students in all grades will be learning science with a new curriculum starting next year.
The board approved the purchase of Inspire Science curriculum published by McGraw Hill for more than $55,000 as part of a new seven-year curriculum cycle at its regular meeting Monday night.
The curriculum was selected after a robust evaluation of the curriculum to state standards, gaining feedback from teachers from other schools about potential curriculum, working with samples from a variety of different resources and coming to an overall consensus. Ideally, every time curriculum is updated, the process will start about two years prior to implementation, said Superintendent Daryl Schrunk.
The new materials will include kits for labs and other experiences for students to get up close and personal with the subject matter.
“The teachers . . . wanted something hands-on. We don’t want science to be just read from a book,” said Elementary Principal Denton Beacom. “We want them engaged in groups and working with manipulatives.”
Schrunk said the majority of funds to upgrade science curriculum will come from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as part of the federal government COVID-19 response.
Any costs not covered by ESSER will be taken from the depreciation or general fund, Schrunk said.
Much like the cyclical upgrades to curriculum, technology will be upgraded in a newly developed five-year plan.
The plan was developed by Schrunk with guidance from Jim Hixson, the district’s technology coordinator.
“Every year, we’re looking at technology and being purposeful about putting money aside for the technology,” to the tune of about $30,000 a year, Schrunk said. “If we just wait five years, it’d be $250,000; we can’t wait that (long) and try to upgrade everything at once.”
Knowing that Chromebooks have a useful expectancy of three to four years, Schrunk’s plan calls for high school students receiving new Chromebooks as seventh-graders and again as sophomores.
“I think our past practice was to then ship those down to the elementary. I don’t think that’s fair to the elementary. So at the elementary, we’re coming up with a plan so they’re getting new ones, too. They’re not just getting the hand-medowns,” Schrunk said.
Along with 60 new Chromebooks for incoming students in grades 7 and 10 in 2024-25, up to 10 teacher laptops will also be ordered for a total cost of $25,000.
Schrunk plans to use Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) funds made available through a federal program designed for small, rural schools to improve quality of instruction. Typically, Randolph Public Schools receives $22,000 from REAP annually. The remainder of funds needed will be pulled from depreciation or general funds.
Schrunk said future years will see upgrades to interactive whiteboards and computer labs.
The school district is able to receive reimbursement for technology infrastructure projects up to 70 percent for items like establishing access points for wireless Internet, switches, wiring and other needs.
Also at the board’s regular meeting Monday night, Schrunk spent some time discussing a recent safety audit, which included positive feedback regarding the district’s well-organized crisis plans, emergency plans, updated handbooks and drills.
Suggestions for improvement included staff wearing IDs to be easily identified in a crisis; maps added to signage about where to go in case of a tornado or fire; and changes to visitor check-in processes.
