Cape school board picks computers for students

With unanimous approval Tuesday night from the Cape Girardeau School Board, a lightweight convertible laptop will soon be put the hands of about 1,200 Central High School students in January.

The purchase that totals about $520,000 includes devices for teachers, loaners in case a device breaks, updated storage capacity and a $5-per-device charge to configure the computers to school district needs, officials said. Each Asus T100TA computer costs $345. The device can be used as a laptop and as a tablet computer, with a detachable touchscreen.

Board members had a chance to admire the Asus device, purchased through SenecaData in Syracuse, N.Y., and two other computers -- an HP and Lenovo model -- that were in contention during a special meeting before the board's regular 6 p.m. gathering. Ten companies submitted 21 bids to the district.

The models shown did not have screens that attached as easily as the Asus, and they were more expensive than the Asus.

The Asus model, also unanimously chosen by the Student Device Selection Committee that included teachers, administrators and students, will not be available to the public until Oct. 18.

"We did have bids on laptops that were not touchscreen," Technology Coordinator Brian Hall said. He added the Asus device has the most up-to-date processor and is twice as fast as the other two devices.

The Asus computer will contain 64 gigabytes of storage to accommodate software and use for four years.

"It's fairly cheap to upgrade to make sure that the device is useful for four years," Hall said. The computer uses Windows Professional software and features an 11-hour battery life.

Central High School junior Maddy McDonald said students thought the touchscreen was necessary for reading textbooks, and it seemed like the device would be stable when it was docked on the keyboard.

"I'm excited for them just because we won't have as many textbooks," said McDonald, 16. "I just think it will be an interesting process. I feel like it will have some good uses. I think it will help the learning process. I feel like it will be easier to adapt. As a student, I feel like we're already technological as it is, so it will be easy to work with."

The purchase Tuesday caps more than a year of research that began in spring 2012.

The motion Tuesday night asked the board for approval to authorize superintendent James Welker to negotiate a lease-purchase agreement through US Bank to provide financing for the computers and to execute the contract on behalf of the board, meeting agenda supplemental documents said.

Sherry Copeland, assistant superintent for academic services, said each device also will have a protective sleeve. The computer also will be etched with the district logo and yet-to-be determined language indicating it is the property of the Cape Girardeau School District.

The target date to give the computers to the high school students is Jan. 7.

Tentatively, the district plans to distribute the laptops to eighth-graders in August, but may add seventh-graders at that time as well.

The district is finalizing its 1:1 student computer-use handbook in preparation for parent meetings in October. The meetings will cover laptop etiquette, expectations of students and parents, insurance for the devices and how they will affect instruction.

In other business, the board:

• Heard Monday's Cape Public Schools Foundation golf tournament went well. The tournament raises money for the foundation, which awards grants to classroom teachers.
• Heard a report about the Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate failing to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of House Bill 253, a tax-cut measure that many educators said would have cut education funding.
• Approved a lock plan for compliance with state regulations implementing Part B of Individuals with Disabilities Act funding.
• Approved a revised resolution authorizing a tax anticipation note.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639