Making Technology Purchases a Dream Come True

Media and Methods, Sep/Oct 2005 by Weaver, Tim

Throughout 30 years of education, I've dreamed of providing an individualized education plan for every student - a plan that identifies each student's academic strengths and weaknesses, and prescribes instruction to either enrich or remediate. Today's instructional software programs make those IEPs possible. The reality is that many school districts can not afford the investment. And we were one of them.

West Clark Community Schools is a conservative school district and has been since 1973 when the Indiana legislature froze tax rates. The $5,306.22 we spend per student ranks 259th out of 310 statewide school corporations. The money is just not there for us and has not been for decades. Meanwhile, we are growing like crazy - the fifth fastest-growing school district in Indiana.

Although our test scores are admirable, and are above the state average in nearly every area, our classes are too large, our PCs are too few, and our teachers are underpaid. Add in the cost of much needed renovations of school facilities, and there is just nothing left. We applied for a Common School Loan through the State Department of Education, but were denied because our assessed wealth was too high. That is when we decided to look at financing our purchases.

When certain vendors offered a financing plan, we jumped at the opportunity. Government Capital is a licensed broker-dealer that specializes in public sector technology funding (www.orchardsoftware.com). "Each year public school districts are getting more comfortable financing their curricular needs," says Kevin Lerner, vice president of public finance with Government Capital.

With interest rates low, we believed that technology financing our entire technology purchases (as opposed to buying software piecemeal over several years) was the best approach.

Currently, media specialists, teachers and administrators are going to workshops focusing on how to incorporate the new software into their daily instruction. And this school year - not in five years - West Clark Community Schools will provide the assessment, targeted instruction, and data management necessary to enhance learning and improve test scores. This year, my dream for districtwide IEPs starts coming true.

Tim Weaver is the assistant superintendent of West Clark Community Schools in Sellersburg, IN.