Voters must approve Measure E to continue increasing student
achievement
Online services that improve the flow of information between parents, students and teachers are minimal in Morgan Hill Unified School District schools. The reason is lack of funding. School technology can improve parents’ access to their children’s grades, assignments and attendance.
With parents’ increasingly busy schedules, it’s become a need that every school district must meet. Parents don’t have to wait for their children’s report cards to arrive in the mail or learn of their homework responsibilities to find out what they’re supposed to be doing in the classroom.
That’s just one of the many benefits Morgan Hill schools will receive if voters pass Measure E, a parcel tax to provide $1.5 million in annual funding to local schools for five years. It’s exempting seniors 65 years old and older and will translate to about $96 a year or about $8 a month for all city households. That’s less than $500 during the five-year period which sunsets in 2011.
Besides giving the district other much-needed technology equipment it will also restore funding for music, art, agriculture and sports programs at all schools.
District officials report that during the last three years, tech support has been one technician for approximately 1,750 computers, plus servers, switches and routers. This year, tech support is one technician for approximately 875 computers plus servers, switches and routers.
The district also needs the money to upgrade technology infrastructure, as some equipment has been donated or is in desperate need of repair. At Live Oak High School, it’s almost embarrassing that computer servers are located in the school attic with rats and spiders. Their location often results in the network crashing.
Measure E will also raise money for staff technology development, instructional technology to support students in all curriculum areas and additional up-to-date equipment for students and staff such as computers, printers, scanners, digital cameras and LCD projectors. The 20 percent computer usage figure reported by district personnel, which can cause alarm to frugal outsiders, is explained due to the system’s lack of support and training, which prevents current computers from being used on a regular basis due to scheduling conflicts.
Members of the indepenent oversight committee – the watchdog group over the money – will safeguard it giving accurate annual reports to the public.
Out of all the districts in the state, Morgan Hill Unified School District is below average in amounts of state education funding. The continuing and dramatic reductions in state education dollars have forced the district to make about $8 million in cuts during the last three years to maintain a balanced budget. The Board of Education has placed the measure on the June 6 ballot because it needs help. Dr. Alan Nishino, who became district superintendent last summer, promises that no Measure E moneys will go toward administration or administrator salaries. The state also will not be able to touch the money because it will only be generated for Morgan Hill school needs.
The extra funding will also help district officials increase security at all schools through the use of video cameras and computer technology.
