High School District Hires Coordinator for Student Laptop Program

The Ramapo Indian Hills district took another step toward implementing it’s planned student laptop initiative with the hiring from within of a coordinator to supervise the transition at its July 29 meeting.

The board approved Daniel Sutherland, the science supervisor at Indian Hills, to move into the position. Coordinating the program will replace his teaching duties, and his salary will remain the same, as laid out in the resolution.

The board set aside about $400,000 in its approved budget last year for the program, which will put district-owned laptops in the hands of every student at the high school.

The cost of the approximately 2,500 laptops will be kept at a near-flat rate, officials have said, under a leasing and buyback plan that will renew the equipment every four years.

The coordinator will be charged with overseeing the steps toward implementing the program, including fall orientations for students and parents, and collections of user agreements in December.

The district expects to fully implement the program in January, in time for the second semester of the 2012-13 school year.