Students and staff will move into brand new buildings for the 2010-11 school year, and according to Jeff Talbert, superintendent of schools, many changes will be made to upgrade technology-- while still saving on costs.
The school will have a main entrance for students, parents and other visitors. This will be an area where information such as transcripts can be attained and new students and parents can come to receive information and enroll. In addition, a clinic will be in that area, so it will be convenient for parents to pick up an ill child.
After stopping at the main entrance office, visitors will be able to access the elementary school-- grades K-4 by turning right, and the middle school and high school-- grades 5-12-- by turning left.
To help the new facility to operate in an efficient and cost-effective manner, restructuring of the administrative staff will take place. Of course, with the recent resignation of Talbert, a new superintendent will come on to lead the school.
The current principal of the high school, Chris Corbi, will move into the new position of operations manager. This will include the responsibility of overseeing the bus and transportation coordination, custodians, cafeterias, safety as well as building and grounds issues. Melanie Davis, who is currently the principal at the primary building, will lead the kindergarten through fifth grade elementary. Erika Knowles, now the middle school principal, will become the principal of grades six through 12.
Corbi will be able to work not only with the school and staff but in the community, both areas that his work over the last years has helped him to become knowledgeable, well known and respected. The principals will then be able to spend more time focusing on instruction and academics.
Technology will take a step up in the new schools, and eighth-graders will be part of an experiment, with each eighth-grader using a Netbook for their school work. If this is successful with the eighth-graders, the Netbooks may be offered to all students in the upper grades in upcoming years. A lease program will be offered to the students, which will keep the cost down for the school district. This will also save on paper, since many of the assignments will be turned in via computers instead of using paper. Talbert said this has been done in other school districts, with a significant savings.
Every room in the new school will have wireless access for computers, something that would have been too costly to do in the old schools. Jason Hall, technology teacher at the high school, has been helping with the set at the school, which will include having a main server, making it much easier for the system to run efficiently throughout the entire district.
Look for more information and photos on the new schools-- including the sports and music facilities and the cafeteria and lunch schedules,-- in upcoming issues and on the Press-News Web site.
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