Groton schools may spend DOD money on technology, reorganization
Groton — A committee of the Board of Education approved two proposals on Monday, one to purchase computers, including 300 Chromebooks for incoming freshman, and the second to reorganize the high school administration.
The first proposal would use $289,000 from Department of Defense supplemental impact aid to invest in technology. The defense department provides the money to communities where at least 20 percent of students are from military families. Groton received $230,860 in impact aid on June 29 to add to the $1.07 million it had on hand in impact aid.
Superintendent Michael Graner proposed and the school board's finance committee recommended that the district spend $298,000 of that total to furnish 300 high school freshmen with Chromebooks, replace 108 laptops for middle school faculty and buy an additional 144 Chromebooks to update those in labs for fifth-grade students.
The committee's recommendation goes next to the full board for a vote.
"This keeps us using that aid to support the education of the kids, but still leaves the board with $1 million," Graner said.
The second initiative would restructure the administration at Robert E. Fitch High School, where a department chairman recently resigned to take another job, Graner said
He proposed the district rearrange the high school administration to assign each assistant principal an area: one in charge of academics, one in charge of guidance and student services and one new dean, in charge of discipline. The dean would work the same number of days and be paid at the same rate as the department chairman who is leaving so as not to add to the total staff or cost.
The idea is be more proactive with student discipline "and keep them out of trouble rather than get them out of trouble," Assistant Superintendent Susan Austin said. This initiative will go before the full board for approval.
Groton considered a similar plan in 2012, board members said.
"This is the way it used to be," member Andrea Ackerman said of the structure.
d.straszheim@theday.com
Twitter: @DStraszheim
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