Grants Assisting Warsaw Schools With Technology And Education
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Thanks to grant dollars, Warsaw Community Schools may be on the forefront locally for technology education. At the Warsaw School Board public work session Tuesday afternoon, Chief Technology Officer Brad Hagg reported WCS was once again selected as one of the Indiana school districts to be awarded a $16,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to offer a summer eLearning Conference. “(This is) another wonderful opportunity for our community and staff,” Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz stated. WCS will host the two-day e3 Technology Conference July 28-29. Warsaw hosted its first conference in 2013. Board President Jennifer Tandy asked Hagg if there were any costs for the conference on top of the grant money. He responded that there were none because it does generate sponsor dollars. “With the money raised from sponsorships and the grant, it combines to make a (no-cost event for us) and hopefully it will be self-sustaining” for years to come, he said. Warsaw was selected to be a regional spot, with the next closest ones in Plymouth and East Noble. Hagg said the conferences are spread out across the state, and the number has increased from 17 last year to 19 this year. Hagg suggested the board can see more information about last year’s conference online at e3tech.warsaw.k12.in.us/ Keynote speakers this year will be Kevin Honeycutt and Angela Maiers. Hagg noted last year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Milton Chen, liked the event so much in 2013 that he plans to return this year as an attendee. The goal for the conference, Hagg stated, is to one day get it to the point where they don’t have to take any state grants and so that it becomes a “power house” for technology education. Randy Polston, board secretary, asked if teachers outside the school district attend the conference. Hagg said there were. Hintz then told Hagg to report on a possible $100,000 grant WCS could win. Indiana has offered a new grant titled Digital Learning Grant worth up to $100,000 for schools to pursue becoming a 1-to-1 school, in which every student has their own portable computer device such as an iPad. If WCS were to receive the grant, Hagg said that may move Warsaw faster to becoming a 1-to-1 district. Hagg said they filled out an initial application for the grant. Out of 130 applications the IDOE received, Warsaw was selected to go to the second phase of the process. Next week, the 33 chosen districts will take 10 minutes each to pitch their proposals on why they should get the grant dollars. Warsaw’s team to present its pitch will include Hagg, Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer David Hoffert, Coordinator of Media Services Wendy Kovach and Technology Integration Coach Susan Armacost. Out of the 33 districts making a pitch, 20 will be chosen to get $100,000, Hagg said. “We feel very well positioned to receive those funds,” Hagg said. With the money, WCS would purchase iPad Minis for all of its sixth-graders next year. They will be recollected every summer, but given back to the students who return for the following school year. When those sixth-graders are seventh-graders, that year’s sixth-graders also will get devices. The following year, the next group of sixth-graders will get them so that all sixth- through eighth-graders in that third year will have them. As an eighth-grader, the student’s parent can then buy the device. The cost for parents to lease the iPads each year from the school corporation will be about $45 per year. Going into high school, Hagg said they will look at different devices for those students who need it. The ultimate plan over the course of a number of years would be for every student in sixth through 12th grade to have a device. “We would look at purchasing class sets for the lower grades,” Hagg said. “That’s a long view of the process.”
