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Schools: Despite cuts, technology should not suffer
Posted on 05/06/2010
By DANIELLE CAPALBO Villager Staff Writer WILTON -- Despite sweeping cuts proposed to instructional technology in Wilton schools, the district plans to float with help from fundraising bodies like the Wilton Education Foundation and various parent-teacher associations, said IT Director Mathew Hepfer. "We'll move forward with the curriculum," Hepfer said. "What I've found when times are tough is that people in Wilton are extremely generous." The Board of Education has been tasked with shrinking the bottom line of its budget by $1.2 million. Kenneth Post, director of financial planning and operations for the district, said the superintendent's recommendation to eliminate funds for items like SMARTboards and projectors could save the schools about $360,000. The district will continue its policy of replacing PCs every four years, he said. Hepfer said the possible reductions don't make him anxious, but will pose some challenges. "It's difficult to pinpoint exactly how these cuts will affect specific programs," he said. "One of the things we're striving to do is create a shared experience with technology ... and to do that, you need to build up hardware, obviously -- to equip classrooms equitably. When you make cuts, it hampers your ablity to do that." He said it's a district priority to build 21st century schools, and by doing so, Wilton teachers have begun to seamlessly integrate technology into their curricula. He said in one geometry class, students manipulate shapes on a SMARTboard. Some social studies classes take virtual field trips using Google Earth, and some English teachers facilitate peer review with SMARTboards by sharing an interactive version of one student's paper with the whole class. He said the budget cuts won't necessarily compromise these instances of progress, though the district cannot rely fully on parents or outside organizations for supplemental funds. WEF President Kit Smith said the organization's goal is to raise $50,000 by June 30. "We're working hard to add money to staff development and new technology," he said, including netbooks and wireless networks. He said the foundation has been raising funds for Wilton schools since the early 1990s. "They've helped with funding on a number of fronts," Hepfer said. "They've been very supportive." The WEF helped fund the Wilton Technology Institute last fall, Hepfer said. The institute provides teachers with free technology training after school, on weekends and through some online courses. Board of Education Chairman Gil Bray said the board is waiting to see if more faculty and staff will retire or certain unions will make concessions. Until then, the only budget certainty is it must decrease by the mandated amount. "There are still a lot of moving parts," he said.
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