8/6/2006 4:00:00 AM PUSD Board examines computer agreement Lease deal could get costly
By HILARY DARTT
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT Although the Prescott Unified School District received a $600,000 grant to start Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy, it still may have to incur some annual costs to keep the school running.
During a Tuesday night board meeting, Northpoint Director Geneva Saint-Amour asked board members to OK a lease agreement between the district and Apple Computers that would equip each of the 100 freshmen entering the school with a MacBook laptop.
District administrators allocated enough money to cover the costs at least for this year and possibly for a few more years, but will have to find a permanent source for future years.
The agreement would cost the district $225 per student per year for four years. Although the total cost would be $375 per student, each student will pay an annual $150 technology fee.
With financing and software, the agreement will cost the district about $38,000 a year for student computers and about $5,000 a year for teacher computers.
That amount would increase annually for the next three years until the school reaches its capacity of 400 students.
During the budgeting process this past spring, PUSD Chief Financial Officer Renee Raskin said, administrators set aside about $20,000 for technology for Northpoint and about $35,000 for soft capital, which includes chairs, textbooks and technology.
Superintendent Kevin Kapp said that between the technology money and the money the school hasn't spent on other soft capital items, enough money exists to cover the cost to the district of the 100 computers for this year and for the next three years.
He said after that the district will have to find a way to pay for the computers.
Board Member Tom Staley expressed concern about the "hidden" costs to the district he'd been under the impression that starting the new high school wouldn't cost the district anything.
Saint-Amour said the cost for using computers and worktables rather than textbooks, lockers and individual desks would come out to more than the cost of paying for laptops for students. Also, she said, Northpoint won't have to pay for as many supplies, such as papers and printers, because students will do almost everything on their computers.
The school will start a booster club to raise money to help pay for school items and to help students pay for fees.
The board will vote Tuesday on whether to approve the Apple lease agreement.
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, August 06, 2006
Article comment by:
Ron Harvey
I am proud of Prescott Unified School District for allowing Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy into our town! This kind of progressive thinking demonstrates that Prescott truly cares about the education of our children. Our overcrowded and underfunded public schools need not be the standard for Arizona's youth. Kevin Kapp, as well as members of the board, should be commended for having the foresight to approve such an advanced form of learning. The Expeditionary Learning model has proven itself overwhelmingly successful around the country. As for the concept of personal laptops instead of textbooks, I am personally thrilled. No longer will these students need to cart around 50 pounds of cumbersome books that are overpriced and badly outdated. Instead, they will be preparing themselves for a rapidly evolving technological age, with few boundaries. These students will be on the leading edge of a new wave of education, and Prescott will have childhood education and family wellbeing as a claim to fame, instead of retirement. I predict our entire community will come to celebrate the achievements of this school and its students. I am confident that the future of these lucky students is well worth the cost.
Bravo, Prescott Unified!
