District considers updating Web site with $8,000 software

The district would pay a one-time fee of about $8,000 for the software.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH JACKSON -- School officials will soon decide whether the district will be receiving a more updated and sophisticated Web site.
At Thursday's Jackson-Milton school board meeting, officials took part in a virtual tour outlining the SchoolPointe software package, which is already in place in about 40 Ohio school districts.
The technology would allow parents and teachers of kindergarten through grade 12 to communicate with one another more easily and effectively, Superintendent Buck Palmer noted.
The district would pay a one-time fee of around $8,000 for the software, and the site would promote the schools in positive ways and be "a great source of information for nearly any segment of the district," Palmer said. The Web page also would make it easier for people considering a move to the area to find out more about what the district has to offer, he added.
The modular Web page, which Palmer estimated could take about three months to start, would be capable of including information on school athletics and other events as well as features such as an online classroom and alumni information.
It also could post emergency notices such as school closings because of inclement weather, Palmer said, adding that the site could be launched by the 2006-07 school year.
Palmer said school officials will receive training on the product and will train teachers on its applications and uses. With the technology, school officials will be able to update information more easily and often, he continued.
Student wins national award
In other business, the board praised senior Angela Dierkes for winning a Silver Award and certificate for her painting's finish in the 2006 Scholastic Art Awards event. Her work is called "Painful Words."
Angela was the fourth Jackson-Milton High School student in 30 years to receive the national award, and she will be honored at a ceremony June 8 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.