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By Candie Fix
Managing Editor 

Martinez and Seger report to Haxtun BOE on recent smart board purchases for classrooms

 

October 28, 2020



School districts across the nation received funding relating to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. For the Haxtun School District, that amount has totaled nearly $288,000. While the funds are restricted to budget items directly related to educational needs during the pandemic, the District has been able to utilize those dollars in for technology, including the purchase of 19 interactive smart boards for classrooms.

The Tuesday, Oct. 20 meeting of the Haxtun School Board opened with a presentation of the new smart boards from Art Teacher Sara Martinez and Tech Teacher Sharon Seger. Seger served on the committee that sought out and purchased the smart boards for teachers who wanted them. Superintendent Darcy Garreston said at the meeting that teachers had the option to get a smart board for their room and choose the size. There are about 10 teachers, she said, who chose not to do so.

Martinez opened the demonstration for board members, displaying how she can use the board in her room to not only help students and substitute teachers with daily classroom duties and assignments, but how she is also able to implement visual learning, organization, adding assignment information and creating schedules.

The smart boards give teachers the ability to screen share and screenshot and save work for students who may not be in the classroom during a lesson. Additionally, teachers who have online textbooks and curriculum can display work on the boards for students in classroom and at home, if needed during a quarantine situation. There is also an option to record lessons on the board to save for later or to send to students who are out that day.

The cost of each interactive smart board totaled $2,700 and included installation, warranty, training and support. The boards were installed over the summer and have been in use since students returned to school this fall. Both Martinez and Seger told board members they are thankful for the addition of the boards not only to the classroom, but for use in situations where teachers or students are utilizing online learning.

Seger said the boards have added value to each classroom, from primary grades up into the high school, each teacher using them in different ways and in varying teaching styles. Students especially seem to like, Seger told board members, the white board option where they can draw and do work on the board.

Following the presentation on smart boards, board of education members heard from Doug Hargrove, with Iconergy, the energy management company working with the district over the past few years with a large scale project to help with energy and water savings. The project, totaling at close to $4 million, included a new roof over the entire main building as well as the ago shop, a new HVAC system in the gym and high school, new controls in the gym and high school, new HVAC in the ago shop bringing that building up to code and new LED lighting throughout the buildings. Other pieces of the project included new bleachers in the gym, a new gym floor and new overhead doors in the ag shop.

To complete the project, Haxtun School District applied for and received grant funds from BEST as well as the Department of Local Affairs in addition to using some district funds.

Hargrove said the bulk of the project is finished, except for some small things such as sealing doors and windows.

Over the next few years, the project will move into the measurement and verification process, Hargrove, said. The Iconergy representative provided several spreadsheets and documents with projected savings in both energy and water over the next few years. The information, he said, is still preliminary as it has not yet been approved by the State. Iconergy plans to continue to monitor performance of the project and administer warranties as needed.

In her report to the Board, Garretson gave an update on the mask mandate for the State set by Governor Jared Polis as well as enrollment numbers for the district. Garretson said the Governor recently extended the mask mandate for an additional 30 days. “We have begun to have more struggles with mask wearing, although for the most part adults and students are following the rules,” she said. Garretson said she sent a reminder to staff members regarding mask wearing and has been visiting classrooms to do the same.

The student count, she added, has dropped due to families moving away.

Principal Becky Heinz told board members in her report that the United States Department of Agriculture extended their free lunch program through June 2021. All children, ages one through 18 are eligible for free breakfast and lunches through the USDA program.

In other business, the Board:

• Approved transportation job descriptions to send to the Colorado Department of Education;

• Approved a calendar change for early dismissal for the high school on Oct. 16 to accommodate parent teacher conferences;

• Hired Riley Smith as a paraprofessional.

 

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