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District technology upgrades near completion; pilots planned for classroom displays
Summary
Technology staff reported the network infrastructure is roughly 84% complete, PA system phase one is about 50% complete, and pilots of replacement ActivPanels are underway ahead of potential purchases for classrooms.
Cecil Hammond told the Finance & Operations Committee on March 3 that Grand Haven Area Public Schools is nearing completion of several technology projects and is piloting equipment to guide future purchases.
Hammond said the district’s infrastructure project — updated switches and wireless access points — is about 84 percent complete and that devices for phase one of the public‑address system upgrade have been installed, with cabling and configuration about 50 percent finished. “The infrastructure project with updated switches and access points is about 84% complete,” Hammond said.
He said the PA upgrades will be completed and staff trained by the end of the school year. Hammond described a planned 5th‑ and 9th‑grade Chromebook purchase to be funded from the sinking fund that is expected to cover devices for about 10 years, and explained that old Chromebooks are sold for parts except for their screens, which have resale value.
Elementary ActivPanels — in service about eight years — are beginning to fail; Hammond said the district is piloting six other brands at no charge to evaluate options before bringing a purchase request. He also said the second half of the PA upgrade will include equipment for the ESC, Griffin, LMS and GHHS and emphasized that the PA hardware is not permanently affixed and can be moved between buildings.
The committee received the update for informational purposes; no purchase was approved during the meeting.
