(TNS) — A state online testing mandate is among the factors prompting the Carlisle Area School District to upgrade its computer network.
The school board is scheduled to vote on two agenda items Thursday to get the work underway and completed by early 2026.
County administrators are recommending the board allocate an additional $100,000 in capital reserves this fiscal year to jump-start the process.
The board also could decide on a proposed $2.22 million capital reserve fund budget for 2025-26, which includes $695,000 for technology projects.
“Our network is aging and struggling to meet the demands of today's educational technology,” said Michael Statler, Director of Business Operations. “With increasing reliance on tools such as cloud-based apps, digital learning platforms, online testing and live collaboration tools, the current system results in slower speeds and performance disruptions.”
In a memo to the board, Statler said fiber optic networks in school buildings do not have the bandwidth capacity to handle video conferencing, virtual classrooms and large data transfers. The wireless setup is too slow and cannot support the number of devices and speed required for modern learning, he said.
“As more devices and tools are added, our legacy system becomes larger,” Statler said. The additional $100,000 could improve network bandwidth and align internal school networks with the district's high-performance fiber optic infrastructure, he said.
“We need to catch up,” said Nathan Burgess, director of technology. “We have to keep going. The state will require online testing in spring 2026. We will test almost 4,500 students at once.”
Board member Joseph Shane asked if there would be additional funding associated with the state mandate to help the district manage the transition. “I wish there was, but I haven’t heard anything,” Burgess said.
The district plans to complete network and Wi-Fi upgrades at Lamberton and Wilson middle schools by spring 2025. The goal is to modernize the internal fiber optic infrastructure at its seven elementary schools by spring 2026.
Included in the $695,000 in technology projects is $325,000 for this work. Other line items in this category include $50,000 for whiteboard upgrades, $175,000 to install smartboard projectors and speakers in classrooms and $145,000 to replace computers and equipment in the art rooms and Center for Careers and Technology of the district.
Maintenance of the facility
In a separate motion, the board could vote Thursday on a resolution to officially close LeTort and Mount Holly Springs elementary schools at the start of the 2028-29 school year. The vote would be a step toward committing the district to a broader plan to restructure grades K-8.
With more than three years remaining until closure, the district plans to continue investing funds from capital reserves to maintain LeTort and Mount Holly Springs schools. The $325,000 proposed for 2025-2026 includes technology upgrades in both buildings.
Aside from technology, the 2025-26 Capital Reserve Fund budget includes $1,525,000 for projects to maintain and improve county facilities. The largest line item in this portion of the budget is $210,000 that would go to LeTort to upgrade the old building automation system that manages the HVAC systems.
“We’re trying to get three more years out of it,” said Bruce Clash, chairman of the board’s finance committee. “It won’t last as long and make it livable.”
“What we have now is a system that is not supported when something goes wrong,” said Karisa Lehman, director of facilities. “I’m looking for solutions to maintain this as cost-effectively as possible over the next few years.”
The equipment portion of the budget also includes a $50,000 project to replace the filing system in the counseling department at Carlisle High School. Currently, all student files are stored in large filing cabinets that are almost at the limits of storage capacity, Lehman said. “We have to find a new solution.”
Two other proposed projects involve the high school's Swartz Building. It is asking for $150,000 to repair and improve visibility and traffic flow at the main office and clock tower entrance, Lehman said. A second project requires $25,000 to install a partition wall to separate a portion of the faculty workspace for classroom use.
Other proposed projects with facilities include:
- $200,000 for maintenance of the turf soccer field at Ken Millen Stadium.
- $120,000 to install baseball and softball batting cages on the Main District campus.
- $100,000 for parking lot painting.
- $80,000 for new cabinetry and cabinets in the high school art room.
- $50,000 each to repaint the main hallway and common areas of the middle schools.
- $45,000 each to replace water softeners at Bellaire and Crestview elementary schools with brine tanks.
When reviewing the capital reserve fund budget, the board must be careful to separate wants from needs, David Miller said. Years two, three and four of the district's five-year plan include price tags of $5 million for 2026-27, $4.27 million for 2027-28 and $4.1 million for 2028-29, said he.
“The projects listed for capital reserves in the coming years are not yet completed,” Lehman said. “As priorities change and other needs arise, we will adjust this list as necessary. The capital reserve budget does not include all major renovations required in connection with the K-8 project. We’ll get into that later.”
The K-8 restructuring initiative includes construction of a 7th-8th middle school on the district's main campus, as well as work to renovate the current Lamberton and Wilson buildings into 4th-6th grade elementary schools.
©2024 The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.