By Mackenzie Klahr
The HSE School Board, in its regular meeting on May 12, reviewed a final HSE 21 presentation that will start the full and mandatory implementation of iPads in intermediate classrooms.
All families will be required to purchase or rent an iPad. HSE will be transitioning away from the iPad 2 and eventually will only be using only the iPad retina. Students are allowed to continue to use their iPad 2 if they already have one; the only significant difference between the versions is the camera quality.
Families are able to rent their iPad through the school district for $125 plus a $20 insurance fee. If they wish to purchase them they must do so through an outside source.
Students on free and reduced lunch will be provided an iPad for the year with no charge.
Another matter the board discussed is the idea of selling the baseball fields at Riverside schools to the city. Many updates would take place if sold. The town would improve and expand the fields in order to allow more city involvement. HSE has been paying the town to maintain the fields.
The parks could go to bid on May 27 according to Director of Parks and Recreation, Tony Elliot who attended the meeting along with Scott Fadness, the town manger, who told the board that if sold, the project to improve the parks would cost roughly $750,000. The board will consider the matter in future meetings.
A vote on whether or not to raise school lunch prices was also on the meeting agenda and was approved 5-1 in favor of raising fees.
Lunch prices will be raised 10 cents and adult breakfasts will be raised 25 cents. The increase of prices is due to legislation passed by the Department of Education that requires all schools to participate in the national School Lunch Program and adjust their average meal price for the 2014/2015 school year.
Lunches from kindergarten through sixth grade will now be $2.55 and adult breakfasts will be $1.50.
