×

South Range board gets to the heart of updating its wireless network

BEAVER TOWNSHIP — South Range Local Schools will be updating its wireless network at a significantly discounted cost

Technology Director Dean Pagnotta reported to the school board this week the district will use a 60 percent discount through the federal E-Rate Program for equipment for Internet districtwide local and wide area networks.

Pagnotta said the project was originally $170,000, but that it has been slashed to around $82,000 or $83,000 before the discount. The project will replace the core piece of equipment, or the heart, of the network, he said.

Pagnotta said the current equipment still works but is dated and cannot handle the throughput now that the district has moved to Chromebooks for students in addition to desktop computers and personal handheld devices.

“We need to continually update [the network],” Schools Superintendent Dennis Dunham agreed. He said the current usage is approximately three devices per person.

Pagnotta told the board that the project is just part of the overall solution. He said next year, when the district will be at around a 50 percent discount through the E-Rate Program, he will look at the data distribution points across the campus, depending on the budget.

In other business, the board purchases a new 72-passenger conventional school bus from Myers Equipment Co. for $85,585 (includes trade of 2001 International Bus). The only other bid received was from Rush Bus Center for $88,486. The is the first bus purchase since 2017.

The board also accepted the resignation of Brenda Dunleavy (bus driver) effective March 13; granted a one-year limited classified contracts to Carla Yankowski as a Tier Two bus driver and Scott Yungen as a Tier Three bus driver; granted a supplemental contract to Kate Hull for mentor for the 2018-2019 school year; and approved Kristen Scott as a homebound instruction tutor for the 2018-2019 school year.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 15 in the K-12 auditorium.

khowell@salemnews.net

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today