High-speed service set for schools

Jay Schools will spend $58,431.67 to create a private wide area network for Internet services via fiber optic cable, replacing a more costly, tower-based system that is slower and routinely subject to interference.
“We expect it will double our capacity and double our speed,” school corporation business manager Brad DeRome told the Jay School Board Monday.
The school system’s information technology specialist went even further.
“It’s almost 10 times faster,” said Dennis Green.
Under the agreement approved unanimously by the board Monday, Jay Schools will contract with Community Fiber Solutions to provide a private multi-point fiber optic network connection to all but one of the schools in the district.
Pennville Elementary School would still be linked to the network via tower because CFS has not yet expanded its fiber optic infrastructure to the Pennville area.
“It’s money well spent,” said board member Mike Shannon. “The quicker we can get the whole district on board the better.”
DeRome noted that the tower system cost about $300,000 to establish nine years ago and carries a monthly fee of $1,400. The monthly cost for fiber optic service from CFS will be $280.
The project will be paid for through the school district’s capital projects fund for 2012.
DeRome told the board the school corporation has received its December tax draw from the county but is still awaiting some state funds. He received board authority to make fund transfers at year-end and will report at the board’s Jan. 23 meeting on the close-out of 2011.
“We have not discovered $300 million in a drawer or anything,” DeRome quipped, referring to the state’s recent revelation that funds had not been properly accounted for.
Assistant superintendent Wood Barwick told the board Jay County High School students would begin taking end of course assessment tests today.
Barwick said the district continues to press for steady improvement in ISTEP and other standardized test scores and is making use of data boards at schools to track individual student progress.
“Rarely does a day go by that we don’t remind teachers that we have these tests coming up and these goals set,” said Barwick. “We think we’re making progress.”
In other business, the board:
•Learned superintendent Tim Long has completed the SUPES Academy professional development series.
•Heard Long say that an inventory of surplus land owned by the school corporation is being developed and the procedures for selling property are being explored.
•Re-appointed Gary Wilson and Mia Starr to the Dunkirk Public Library Board.
•Unanimously upheld the expulsion of a student. The expulsion had been appealed and was discussed in executive session prior to Monday’s public meeting of the board.
•Learned from DeRome that a former cable TV office adjacent to the East Jay Middle School bus garage had been purchased by another bidder and not by the school corporation.
•Hired Nicole Harris as a part-time secretary at East Elementary School, Amanda Bruce as a graphic arts teacher at JCHS, Jessica Walls as a special education teacher at Westlawn Elementary School, and Susie DeRome as a half-time English as a second language teacher at Bloomfield Elementary School.
•Accepted the resignation of food service employee Shu Bergman.
•Approved the retirements of food service employees Martha Fager, Marita Workman, and Shirley Long.
•Approved a leave of absence for music and guard instructor Emilie Garringer.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for Landon Martin as sixth grade basketball coach at East Jay, Nick Ehrhart as assistant swim coach at East Jay, Tiffany Mathias as head swim coach at East Jay, Ryan Smitley as assistant wrestling coach at East Jay, and Heath Williams as volunteer assistant baseball coach at JCHS.[[In-content Ad]]