ST. PARIS – Graham Local Schools will get a wireless network upgrade sooner than expected, due to funding approval from a federal program.
The Graham school board approved moving funds for the wireless upgrade to the current school year’s budget instead of next school year at its Monday meeting.
The improvements are needed at all three school buildings, Graham District Operations and Services Supervisor Don Burley said. The wireless access points at the elementary and high school were installed when the buildings were built, and the middle school hardware was added after that. The project would add newer hardware and add more of it to each building, so there should be more and faster wireless access in each building. The federal government will pay 70 percent of the cost through its eRate program, Treasurer Judy Geers said. The district’s share is estimated to be $50,000 to $55,000.
Burley added the estimate he had for just upgrading what the district currently had was $200,000.
The school district received notice it would be funded for the project through the eRate program this year instead of next year, so the school board needed to approve a fund transfer from the Permanent Improvement fund to the Classroom Facilities Maintenance fund to cover the cost. It also needed to increase appropriations to match the spending. The board unanimously approved the actions.
In other action, the board:
•Approved the transfer of $3,732.86 from the Class of 2014 Student Activity Fund to the High School Principals Fund. The student activity fund is no longer active and will be closed.
•Accepted donations of $120 from Personal Touch Landscaping to the Graham Athletic Department for Girls Soccer; $125 from Brenda Cook to the Graham Marching Band; $1,720 from the Graham Boosters Club to the Graham Athletic Department for soccer goals; and $403 from James Allison to the Graham Athletic Department for a football helmet.
•Approved the resignation of bus driver Stephen Teale, effective Oct. 2.
•Approved one-year limited substitute teaching contracts for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved one-year limited contracts for Tutors for Individualized Services (Home Instruction/Intervention Tutors/Saturday School) for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved hiring Jeffrey Adams as assistant middle school Cross Country coach (boys and girls), and assistant junior varsity baseball (.5) coach, for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved one-year limited contracts for Lunchroom Worker Jamie Fisher, effective Sept. 21, 2015, and Administrative Assistant Jennifer Wilcoxon, effective Oct. 12, 2015.
•Approved one-year limited substitute contracts for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved hiring Assistant Middle School Basketball Coach Tristan Bogan (girls 8th), Assistant Middle School Basketball Coach Brian Hall (boys 8th), Assistant Middle School Wrestling Coach Jeff Rice and High School Head Basketball Cheerleading coach LeAnna Durbin for the 2015-16 school year.
•Approved designating Bricker & Eckler LLP as authorized legal counsel for the Graham school district, to be used on an as-needed basis on consultation on general school law matters.
•Approved the Graham Ag Ed/FFA Cardboard City Community Service Project trip Nov. 24-25 and the Graham Ag Ed/FFA 212/360 State Leadership Conference trip to Columbus, Jan. 16-17, 2016.
