M.P.S. board approves new chromebooks, infrastructure improvements
The Midland Public Schools board of education approved more than $1.5 million in infrastructure and technology changes at its April 18 meeting.
The biggest expenditure, at $1.4 million, is the purchase of 4,400 HP Chromebook devices for K-7 students. Superintendent Michael Sharrow told the City Paper that these will replace the school’s current Chromebooks, which are around 5 years old and will no longer be supported.
The Chromebooks cost $322.51 each, including management licenses, and enrollment and asset tagging. The new devices are expected to arrive within four to eight weeks.
Also approved was the abatement of asbestos, related to flooring replacement projects at Midland High, Northeast, and Jefferson. $105,200 will be awarded for controlling the release of asbestos fibers from the old flooring materials. Mr. Sharrow told the City Paper that this project will take place after Memorial Day.
$33,305 will be awarded for painting and seal coating of parking lots throughout the school district. M.P.S. will also purchase new servers and storage devices for $79,679.35.
A series of staff and curriculum development proposals were presented to the board. They will be up for approval on the May 16 meeting, following a period of public input.
Totalling $338,614 from the general fund, the proposals intend to help meet needs for curriculum and staff, and to help the school meet their goals of providing a safe, more collaborative, and more diverse culture for students.
The proposals were listed in the April 18 meeting agenda as follows:
1. Blended Learning Workshop
2. Instructional Technology Workshops
3. Student Information System (Synergy) Integration Workshops
4. Elementary Literacy Word Study Curriculum Exploration for grades 3-5
5. Play-Based Learning for Pre-Primary Center
6. Primary Years Programme Collaboration Time
7. Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) / Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) / Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
8. Secondary English Curriculum and Text Enhancement
9. Secondary Math Resource Implementation
10. Secondary Science Curriculum Workshops
11. Secondary Social Studies Curriculum Workshops
12. High School IB Exploration
13. Middle School Exploration
14. Elementary World Language (Spanish) Curriculum Refresh
15. K-12 Music Curriculum Refresh
16. Keyboarding Curriculum Refresh
17. Mandarin 2 Implementation
18. Life 101 Course Development
Michael Piwowarski covers education, including higher ed and Midland Public Schools, for the City Paper.