District 200 Officials Consider $600,000 Technology Investment

Officials in Community Unit School District 200 are considering technology upgrades that could cost as much as $600,000, but even that price point would not mean that every student has a computer.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Technology Director Rodney Mack told board members that the district currently has about a 4:1 ratio. That compares to a ration of 3:1 in the elementary schools and just above 2:1 in the middle school.

A trend to equip every student with his or her own technology is growing, but Mack said the district is not considering the 1:1 ratio.

“There are a lot of really valuable learning experiences that don’t involve kids with a screen in front of them,” Schuler told the Tribune. “So if you put a screen in front of every student every hour they’re in school, but there are large blocks of time where they don’t need it, I think you’re over-investing in technology if it’s just sitting idle for chunks of time.”

If the district implements all of the improvements, which also involves some behind-the-scenes upgrades, it would cost around $629,000, the Tribune reported. Existing funding and grants could cover about 70 percent of that expense, leaving $190,500 for district officials to find.