The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held a Special Meeting Wednesday evening that was also broadcast via YouTube. During their session at the High School Media Center, the Board approved discussing the Certified Budget on March 10th, and holding a Public Hearing on the Budget March 24th, with certification of the budget that same night. Superintendent Steve Barber said the State requires the Certified Budget for the three counties served by the District, to be submitted by April 15th. The Board approved Contract Recommendations for: James Todd, Chemistry and Physics Teacher. Todd comes to Atlantic from the CAM School District, where he is the Chemistry Teacher; and Cayleigh McBee, as High School Special Education Teacher. McBee is in the process of finishing her Master’s Degree in Special Education.

The Board also approved the resignations of: Rebecca Drake, H.S 1:1 Paraeducator; Diane Schuler, MS Paraeducator, and Henry Hallgren, HS Government Teacher. Afterward, the Board approved Open Enrollment applications, and tentative two-year agreements for 2021-2022 /22-23 Master Contracts with the Atlantic Education Association and Employees Association. Superintendent Steve Barber explained what the Certified Staff package entails. He said a BA Degree, which is the first lane, will see an increase of $1,425 or 4% for the first year of the contract.

A similar increase takes place for the 2022-23 school year.

The Board discussed at length, the District’s 1:1 (one-to-one) Computer Plan. The District uses Apple products currently. The original plan was for four-years, but so far they’ve managed to get seven-years of use. Technology Director Roger Warne said the district has a “Hodge Podge” of 13 different devices that they are trying to manage, between the MacBook Air’s and Chromebooks of various types of MacBook Pros, etc.

The District’s programs must be removed before the computers can be sold to other vendors or the public.

Chromebooks would be provided to students in grades 1 through 12 that are exactly the same device in all grades. Kindergartners and preschoolers would receive an I-Pad, which is easier for the kids and teachers to work with. The Board agreed to put out an RFP (Request for Proposal) for the purchase of 1,400 Chromebook licenses with a decision on the purchase to be made during the Board’s March 10th Board meeting, assuming the cost of licenses is known by then. The licenses and touch screen devices would be purchased soon thereafter with the District’s CARE dollars.  Technology Director Roger Warne says he has three vendors he can get an RFP from. Once he has the licenses, he said it doesn’t matter what device they are used on.