43
Tablets given to teachers, students to follow in coming weeks
By ROBERT CONNELLY
AUSTINTOWN
District teachers in grades six through 12 have received their tablet computers ahead of their students, district officials announced at Tuesday’s board of education meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor updated the board during his report. He also said the district continues to meet with the Mahoning County Educational Service Center on curriculum and upcoming state testing.
The district is “making sure we have the technology and infrastructure as well as software to be able to do what we need to for those tests,” he said.
The district spent $1.1 million for 3,000 tablets and software costs as well as equipment carts over the summer.
Batchelor also said he and district officials are working on a master calendar to set up state testing times “to maximize instructional time.”
Superintendent Vincent Colaluca said tablets would be given to students in the coming weeks and information, such as the insurance policy and fee needed for the student to take the device home, will be before parents at upcoming meetings. Batchelor said “hopefully within the next two to three weeks” the tablets will be in students’ hands.
Colaluca added, “We’ve done professional-development with the teachers, really, since the summertime, on the implementation of the Google platform, and that’s what the Chromebooks will be extensively used for.”
The board unanimously approved the creation of an Austintown youth basketball league to be formed by the Austintown Fitch basketball program. This would be for fundamental learning for players in grades three through six and would cost $40, including a T-shirt.
The board also approved the re-employment of Dr. James Shina as a consulting physician for football and wrestling at a rate of $2,200 on top of $1 for each season. After that, the board voted 5-0 to approve Dr. Shina’s donation back of that stipend, $1,200 to the Anthony Zoccali Scholarship fund and $1,000 to student activities and educational materials at Colaluca’s discretion.