If there were any questions regarding the positive impact a single outstanding employee can have on an organization, Monday’s USD 257 board meeting went a long way toward muting those doubts.
Outgoing Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn — along with his successor, high school principal Stacey Fager — have spent the last eight-plus weeks searching out ways to best fill the hole left by departing district technology director Brett Linn, who tendered his resignation in March.
“The question we looked at,” said Koehn, who dwelt for a moment on the caliber of Linn’s talents, “is how do we replace Brett? It’s going to be very difficult.
“Right now,” continued Koehn, “we have 1,200 Chromebooks in the district. We basically have one-to-one in fifth grade through twelfth grade. … But none of that will matter at all if your network doesn’t work.”
How, then, without the vision and acuity of someone like Linn, will the district maintain its current first-class network and ensure that it keeps pace in an arena of quickening change?
The short answer is K12itc, a schools-oriented technology management firm out of Kansas City, Mo.
On Monday, the board approved a five-year contract with the company at a cost of $133,700 per year.
The company will oversee the maintenance of the district’s IT infrastructure — which extends to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center as well as to the new LaHarpe-based tech ed center — and provide other network support, plus easy-to-reach customer service options for teachers and administrators.
According to Koehn, the district spent $75,000 this past year to keep its network running at top standards. Taking into account past-year salaries, the cost of engaging K12itc will be “about a wash” with the prior year’s IT-related outlay. (The Chanute school district approved a similar deal with K12itc last week.)
Still, there are aspects of the district’s technology profile for which K12itc cannot lend its expertise: website management, security cameras, the installation of classroom Smart Boards and projectors. For these responsibilities and more, said Koehn, the district will retain the services of its two current tech employees.
The motivating questions nourishing this new transition, stressed Koehn, are two: “How can we continue what we’ve already established here? And how can we help it grow?”
SPEAKING of growth, Koehn counted himself “elated” with the information, delivered by Jefferson Elementary principal Lori Maxwell, showing significant improvements in academic performance among that school’s first- and second-graders. Koehn pointed out the vast disparities in kindergarten readiness that characterize the district’s youngest pupils on their first day of school. “When kids come into school, they’re all over the place. But you would hope by the time you get to third grade, you can close those gaps. That’s what’s happening [at Jefferson], through a lot of work and a lot of cooperation.
“The other point I’d make is maybe a tad more political: Without grade-level attendance centers, this would be harder to do. When you have everybody in the same building, you’ve got that collaboration there. I just wanted to pat the board on the back one more time — that was a good move.”
AND THE board patted back. BOE president Tony Leavitt took a moment at Monday’s board meeting, the last of the school year, to pay gratitude to the 12 longtime teachers and administrators (Koehn included) who are entering retirement. “These are really, really wonderful people,” said Leavitt, “people who have given a lot to this district and a lot to the kids in this district. From the board, we’re going to miss you.”
