Area must make the most of school tech funds

At last, the first projects have gotten the state’s go-ahead from a massive, $2 billion school-technology bond that voters approved in November 2014.

Remember that? The state stuck this referendum on that ballot and, quite frankly, offered scant information about how the money would be spent precisely. Nevertheless, the public took a gamble and gave its blessings.

How this money gets allocated bears close watching.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that the 52 projects, including ones benefiting the Wappingers and Spackenkill school districts, will be funded with $45 million from the bond. Most of the money will go to classroom technology equipment. Some of the funds also will be used for school connectivity and high-tech security projects. Specifically, these monies will go to purchase everything from computer servers and tablets, to improving high-speed broadband access in schools.

While few would argue about the need to bring classrooms into the modern-day era, unlike previous bond acts that supported transportation and the environment, the state had no real rundown of how the money would be spent in specific regions of the state; there was no tangible “priority list” to help voters determine whether the money will, indeed, be used effectively and for its stated purposes.

For instance, unquestionably one of the focuses of this money should be to end the “digital divide” among school districts across the state. But the money also can be used for investments in prekindergarten classrooms and removal of classroom trailers. It’s imperative that all school districts in our area put their best proposals forward to obtain some of these resources. Doling out the money is in the hands of the so-called “Smart Schools Review Board”. It includes the state director of the budget, the chancellor of the State University of New York, and the commissioner of the State Education Department.

While $45 million has been committed, there is still plenty of money on the table. All area districts should take heed.

Find out more and see plans online
To find out more about the smart schools program, go to https://www.ny.gov/programs/smart-schools-ny

To see a  summary of these 52 plans that have been approved, go to
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/SSIP_BoardMeeting_1.pdf