Franklin Lakes School May Launch 1-to-1 Laptop Initiative

The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is set to roll out its one-to-one laptop initiative after the Winter Break, and now the Franklin Lakes K-8 school district might implement a laptop initiative of its own.

This January, a group of Franklin Lakes teachers and administrators will present the findings of their yearlong study on whether or not the district should give out laptops to all of its students at the Franklin Avenue Middle School, Superintendent Frank Romano said at a Board of Education meeting this week.

Romano said he anticipated the group reporting “excitement” behind this idea.

“I think the middle school teachers would like to see [the implementation of a laptop initiative] during the 2014-15 school year,” Romano said.

“But we should really let them answer those questions when they make the presentation.”

The initiative would likely see the district dolling out leased Apply laptops to all of its FAMS students, but officials said the committee has been looking into several options of how to increase technology in the classroom.

Board member and Curriculum Committee Chair Jackie Veliky told the board the committee is looking into ways to use technology to better prepare for the new state Common Core standards, and “to use technology as citizens of the changing world.”

Some board members questioned the initiative proposal.

“We didn’t necessarily ask for this,” board member Shirley O’Reilly said.

When some board members suggested Franklin Lakes wait to see how the high schools’ laptop initiative go before making a decision, Romano disagreed.

“Our teachers are incredibly dedicated,” he said. “They discovered the need before they identified the technology.”

He added, “we are not going to follow [Ramapo Indian Hills], I think we are going to lead the way.”

Romano also said the initiative would have a “minimal tax impact,” because the leased laptops would replace computers the district is now buying, but said that more specifics on the cost would be enumerated at the committee’s presentation.

Locals can expect the presentation at the second Board of Education meeting in January.