RANCHO SANTA FE — Due to increased enrollment, 20 more iPads will be needed for this school year at R. Roger Rowe School in Rancho Santa Fe it was decided at the school district’s Sept. 6 meeting.
The technology upgrade at the district took place during the summer. So far, 410 of the devices have been purchased. Also, 170 desktop computers have been purchased plus four new servers. The projected cost of the upgrade is estimated at $580,000. So far, $531,000 has been spent.
The devices will first be placed in the hands of all middle school students. Six of them will also be put into all other classrooms with each teacher getting his or her own.
Trustee Todd Frank asked Lindy Delaney, district superintendent, to give a detailed report at the next board meeting about the overall cost of the upgrade.
“How much was the original bid, how much we’ve spent to date and how much more we will have to spend,” Frank said.
In other school board news, Delaney said the school year is off to a good start with an enrollment of 671.
“We have a group of newcomers and they are glad to be in the district,” she said.
She said the decorative donor walls are up outside the performing arts center.
“We will have a grand opening in the future. People have been very patient,” she said.
She said in the future she hopes the center can be utilized for perhaps speakers or a concert series.
Delaney said students, teachers and parents are excited about the new grade six report cards.
“They are better representations of overall progress,” Delaney said. “I think it helps with the transition from middle school to high school.”
The new report cards use letter grades, but break a single subject down into categories.
“My student is excited about it,” Marti Rizzo, a school board member, said.
The schools sports programs are off to a good start, according to Delaney.
Steve Rossier has been named athletic director and will earn a stipend of $4,000 for the school year.
Paul Coco has taken over as middle school assistant principal and will earn a $15,618 stipend for his duties.
The board is also keeping its eye on Proposition 30 on the November ballot, which would benefit schools by increasing the state sales tax by a quarter cent for four years and raise personal income taxes on Californians who earn more than $250,000 a year or joint filers who make more than $500,000.
The next school board meeting is set for 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the school’s performing arts center.
