Les Cheneaux Community Schools board of education unanimously approved spending $94,981 for new technology at its meeting Monday, October 27. The money, second part in a two-phase technology bond budget, is to be spent on Smartboards, Elmos overhead projectors, security cameras, and network upgrades.

"Going into phase two, we want to do some more classroom technology things," Superintendent Rod Goehmann said.

Classroom tech to be added includes eight Smartboards, which are electronic touch screens, a form of interactive projector screen that allows teachers to operate a computer from the screen during lessons. Teachers can also browse the Internet to access online learning software in the classroom, Mr. Goehmann said.

The security camera system at Les Cheneaux schools will add about 21 cameras and be upgraded from the current four camera system. The school will also purchase two new Elmos overhead projectors and computer networking equipment.

Phase one of the technology bond was spent on computers, furniture, and infrastructure and was $7,500 under budget. Mr. Goehmann said the remaining funds may be used for future technology purchases.

Retirement regulations

The Internal Revenue Service is implementing regulations on public school district 403(b) retirement plans starting January 1. Under the new regulations, districts all over the U.S. will have to monitor and regulate employee deductions and transfers into their retirement plans.

The Les Cheneaux School Board unanimously voted to join the Michigan Retirement Investment Consortium, a group set up to manage employee retirement accounts of Michigan public school employees. The district will spend $500 to join the third party.

"We as employers, particularly as a small school district, we don't have the capacity to do that," Mr. Goehmann said. "We're not in the business of keeping track of that stuff."

He said the consortium will keep track of all employee transactions through six different investment vendors. The district's current plan does not limit which vendors employees can use.

Under the consortium's management, district employees will only be able to choose from the following investment firms: AIGVALIC, MEA Paradigm Prudential, Plan Member, The Legend Group, Wadell & Reed Nationwide, and Midwest Capital Advisors. Employees will be able to keep their current investment accounts, but under the new regulations will not be able to contribute to them through payroll deductions.

District Business Manager Chris Hill said the IRS started auditing bigger school districts across the U.S. and discovered there was no oversight and decided to regulate the system.

"No one had a handle on how people were handling their retirement accounts," Mr. Goehmann said.

The board also presented its annual education report at the Monday night meeting.

The annual school ratings were below state levels at every grade level in English and mathematics except for 4th and 8th grades, which were each about 90 percent proficient. The ratings are based on MEAP scores weighted from previous years.

"It's just a different set of kids, just a different mix of kids," from previous years, Mr. Goehmann said. "They're all basically receiving the same instruction."

He said there could be many factors that may have caused the lowered scores and that he's learned not to get overly excited when 100 percent of students earn proficient grades on testing.

Students in the district completed MEAP testing for this year on Friday, October 24.