"The Charlottesville school system might be in line for a technological upgrade, thanks to the city’s $6.7 million surplus from fiscal 2007.

City staff is recommending that $1.58 million of that surplus be used to install overhead LCD monitors in 230 classrooms and a wireless Internet network in each of the city’s nine schools.

School Board vice chairwoman Peggy Van Yahres said that upgrading technology is one of the board’s key priorities.

“It’s important that we give our teachers the tools to help our students succeed in the 21st century world,” she said.

Mayor David Brown said he is open minded about the proposal and said that the City Council would need to hear more about the details.

“I’m at least a bit favorably inclined to invest in technology for the schools, both for the opportunities it could create for kids as well as the help it could give in terms of attracting top faculty and teachers,” he said.

Some councilors are not yet sold on a technology upgrade as a wise use of surplus funds.

Councilor Dave Norris said it’s too early for him to say how he would vote on the proposal, but he believes that the schools may have more urgent priorities than a technological facelift.

“We have teachers paying out of pocket for pencils and construction paper, and if we can’t afford that, should we be thinking of LCD projects and laptops?” he asked. “We have to make sure we are meeting our basic needs.”

Councilor Kevin Lynch supports the concept behind the proposal but said that he is not convinced that it merits the use of surplus funds, considering that the city has many other pressing infrastructure needs, including bridges, parks and recreation facilities and storm-water management.

“I have not seen a compelling case for it yet,” he said.

Lynch, who will not be on the council by the time the budget is voted on in April, favors the purchase of overhead LCD monitors for classrooms, but he says that they could be bought for a much cheaper price than the $3,700 per unit figure listed in the proposal.

“Sometimes in the city it seems like we just point at the most expensive item in the catalogue and say, ‘I want that,’” he said.

Lynch also favors expanding access to Wi-Fi Internet throughout the city but fears that having wireless Internet access in schools might distract students.

“Kids are distracted enough, with text messaging and cell phones,” he said. “Wireless Internet in schools needs to be considered a little more carefully.”

Last year, $400,000 in surplus money was allocated for city schools to make Americans with Disabilities Act infrastructure improvements.

The City Council will discuss the surplus for the first time this year at its meeting Monday evening." (Barney Breen-Portnoy, The Daily Progress, November 18, 2007)