New IT Infrastructure and Equipment coming to Aptos Schools
By Noel Smith
In the November 2012 election, the voters approved a $150 million bond issue for the PVUSD. “It’s one thing to pass a bond issue, and another to spend the money,” according to Brett McFadden, Chief Business Officer for the Pajaro Unified School District. “Capital improvements (anything that takes construction) takes time to bring online. We have a long list of projects out for bid and even for rebid, but we won’t be seeing major results until 2015/2016.”
However there is another type of capital improvement that is even now coming “on-line” and that is the IT (Information Technology) improvements for the six schools that serve the north area (Aptos) of the District.
Aptos got left behind until now because much of the funding for school IT improvements were based on Federal and State requirements that favored the English Learner schools in the South and Central areas of the District.
McFadden said, “With this Measure L bond money, we now can bring all the district schools up to the same level in equipment and infrastructure for all students, teachers and administrators. That is our commitment and our priority. We also now have what we call an “Endowment Fund” set aside so we will be able to keep our District IT up-to-date as technology evolves.”
According to Tim Landeck, PVUSD Director of Technology, Here are the IT improvements for Aptos Schools that have been completed or are in are in progress.
Computer and Computer Labs
Both Aptos High School and Aptos Junior High use Windows-based technology and the four Elementary Schools (Bradley, Mar Vista, Rio del Mar and Valencia) use Mac-based systems. Here are the planned improvements:
- Computer labs with new equipment at all six schools with – Aptos High school to get a second lab – and new equipment for all six school offices.
- Aptos High School: 72 computers for the labs and 5 for the office
- Aptos Junior High: 36 computers for the lab and 4 for the office
- Bradley, Mar Vista, Rio del Mar and Valencia Elementary Schools each to have 36 computers for the lab and 2 for the office.
- Total cost $255,550
Technology Endowment
Cost is $500,000 a year for ten years to Upgrade, Enhance, Replace as needed for all District schools.
Other District-Wide IT Improvements
WAN Connections — All sites upgrade to 1 gigabit connection • Network Equipment — Network Operations Center/Data Center Upgrade • Data Drops (Internet Access) — Bradley School and Non E-Rate Schools (Schools and Libraries Program Access) • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) • Backup and Storage Infrastructure • Network Access Control — Wired and wireless connections to all District sites • Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) • Video Surveillance • Intelligent Classrooms
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For the presentation made to the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee on September 17, 2013 go to: www.pvusd.net and on the right side go to Measure L Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee information.