EPCSC board puts two phases of renovation project on hold
Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation students and staff will have an easier time using technology as the corporation will begin using one learning management system.
School board members voted to use a learning management system after they heard the pros and cons of technology, during a regular meeting on May 11.
Superintendent Dan Foster and chief technology officer Adam Bennett presented several reasons why the system will help incorporate more technology into school lessons.
“One of the things last year that we felt prevented us from trying e-learning days was the fact that we didn’t have a common learning management system,” Foster said. “A student taking six or seven class periods would have to log in to six different places to get their homework. That didn’t seem to make sense to us.”
He also said the lack of one-on-one devices with the elementary students caused an additional reason for not moving forward with e-learning.
According to Foster, there were several different free systems that were being used but teachers were using the system that best fits their needs. The Indiana Department of Education offered a free learning management system but state officials recently found out the company that manages the system is closing.
Bennett said school corporations across the state are scrambling to find an alternative and funding to pay for it. He said the system that was offered by the department of education was “cumbersome at best. We were looking at several other options. This is the best of what we have been able to find. One of the reasons that we tabled it in November was because it was outrageously expensive.”
The prices dropped in half because the other company was closing.
One of the cons of the system is that teachers would have to enter students’ grades twice because Canvas does not synchronize with Harmony.
“Right now, there are about five schools that are looking at the same thing and basically saying Harmony needs to get that fixed with Canvas. They are in discussion right now to do that,” Foster said.
Foster and Bennett were both surprised at the teachers’ reactions toward the system, although grades would need to be entered twice until the synchronization of the systems.
“The feedback that we got from all of the teachers — several of them put that the grade book synchronization is not a deal breaker. This tool is so robust and so good,” Bennett said.
The reason the recommendation to use Canvas by Instructure was brought to the attention of the board members was because of the costs.
It would start at $5 per student for the first year. The first year is estimated to cost $6,650 based on 1,330 licenses. There is also a $4,500 fee to start up costs.
Foster said there is a technology fee that could help cover the costs.
The board approved the recommendation with a commitment of five years.
Students and staff will be able to use the system starting the 2015-2016 school year. The system can be used at the elementary school level and for e-learning days.
In other business:
• Minutes from the regular meeting, executive session and special meeting on April 13 and from the special meeting and executive session on April 27 were approved.
• School board members recognized the valedictorian Hannah DeGroot and salutatorian Francesca Niewiadomski, with their parents.
• A financial report for the period ending April 30, claims through May 11 and payroll claims of April 2015 were approved. Foster said the fund balances are all positive. There was a concern that there were a number of bus maintenance issues. Foster said one bus was towed to Logansport because of a possible head gasket issue. “Inspections are coming up next month so that’s another part of it — trying to make sure everything is getting ready,” Foster said.
• The resignation of high school English teacher Ryan Moorehouse was approved. It was effective May 7. To fill the position, Tina Stacy was hired.
• A recommendation by Foster to approve summer school contracts with Kevin Zupin teaching high school economics and Kyle Johnson teaching high school physical education were approved. Foster said each class must have an enrollment of 15 students and it appears that will happen.
• A request by Foster to accept the PACE grant funds and the popcorn machine from the elementary PTA were approved.
• A recommendation by Foster to continue the Title I and High Ability Grant programs was approved. Foster said the two programs offer about $200,000 in funding.
• Foster requested the consideration of the transfer tuition policy for the 2015-2016 school year to comply with state statutes. He said the corporation must consider how many transfer students they will accept and publish a date by which the student must apply. Foster reviewed the accepted number of students last year that included 740 students at the elementary, 350 students at the middle school and 460 students at the high school. The number will remain the same for the 2015-2016 year. The transfer tuition policy was approved.
• The textbook fees for the 2015-2016 school year were approved. At the elementary school the rate is $95 and $5 for a technology fee. At the middle and high schools it is $95 and a $10 technology fee.
• The 2015-2016 student handbooks for each of the schools were approved. Any changes to the handbooks were presented to the board at the last board meeting.
• A request for the girls basketball team to attend an overnight field trip was approved. This is a camp the team has attended several times.
• Because the bids for the elementary school renovation project cost more than anticipated, the school board approved to reject the bids and authorize rebids. Foster said after the bids have been rejected then the scope can be “realigned.” If the board had approved the bids, the elementary phase of the project would be about $2.4 million over budget. The corporation would receive new bids on July 7. Rejecting the bids will not change the end completion date that is scheduled for the fall of 2016.
• Along with rejecting the bids for the elementary school renovation, the board tabled the technology and infrastructure improvement bids that were more than the estimated costs. Foster said after reviewing the project they would like to hold off on new phone cabling because they would like to use a voice over Internet protocol system. The bid also included the fire alarms and intercom systems in the schools. Foster said there are a few other options in regards to a combined phone system and intercom system, but there are some unanswered questions. The phone system was previously approved pending funds remaining from the General Obligation Bond. The project could be rebid and still completed before the completion date.
• Changes made to board policy section 206 were presented to the board for a first reading. Foster said the changes were made to the evaluation tool such as a few deletions and flipping the numbers from most effective to find another job.