Education is extremely important but there can be limits to what a school district can offer. Budget cuts continue to be a major concern and there is no sign of it getting any better. There are steps though that these school districts can take in order to keep up with the latest technology.
Grants and Donations
There are plenty of grant programs out there that the school district can apply for. These programs allow for the school district to fill out forms regarding what they need and why they need it. Then approval can be determined based on that information. With grants, there are very particular deadlines and information that has to be provided.
It is essential that the school has someone paying close attention to those details. This will significantly increase the chances of the grant being approved. It is a good idea to apply for many different types of educational grants rather than just one and hoping that it works out in their favor.
Private donations from parents, community members, and local businesses can also help school districts. These entities aren’t blind to the fact that the school districts have faced budget cuts. They often want to do all they can to help out. Many of these donations are given anonymously too. They do so in order to help the schools but they don’t want to be in the spotlight for their generosity.
Fundraisers
Schools can also raise money for the items they need to keep up with the latest technology by hosting fundraisers. The students can sell items, offer raffle tickets, have movie nights, dinners, and an array of other things to create the money. However, in many of the areas the families have also been hit by the economy. They don’t always have the funds themselves to participate in the fundraisers.
The school also has to be careful to keep their overhead very low. This way, the money they do generate through a fundraiser isn’t just going to pay back what they had to spend to get it in motion.
Used Equipment
Sometimes, a local business will upgrade their equipment and they can give the used items they had before to the school. They can either donate them or they can sell them for a lower price. This is a great way for the school to get updated technology, even if it isn’t the most current at that point in time.
Cut Other Costs
Some schools have made the decision to cut other costs in order to have more money to keep up with technology. They want the children to have the best possible learning experience that they can. The school may have to decide to cut out some other costs including field trips, sports, and clubs. It may also include cutting out the option for summer school.
They may have to increase the amount of out of pocket money that parents pay for various activities in order to keep them as part of the curriculum. For example, parents may need to pay fees for sports and other activities in order for their child to participate.
Merging
Some schools have decided to merge, especially in very small towns with low budgets. They have certain programs at their school and then another school locally offers another program. The students and their parents have to be responsible for their own transportation to and from those other programs.
The process of merging at some schools has also resulted in cutting back on teachers. For example, instead of 7th grade and 8th grade math or English, they have combined classes. The classroom sizes get larger and the number of teachers needed in that school district gets smaller. Other areas of elimination include parent volunteers to work in the school office rather than higher staff.
Shorter School Week
To help cut down on costs, some schools are going to a 4 day school week. The students go a bit longer each day to make up for it. This eliminates costs of bus transportation, food preparation, and other overhead expenses for the schools.
Online Learning
Eliminating classes that aren’t required for graduation can also be part of how these low budget schools are able to keep up with technology. They offer classes over the internet to advanced students. They may be offering online learning for teachers too instead of paying for them to attend workshops. These programs are low cost and very effective online so more schools are turning to them than ever before. There are servers and web hosting for everything, you can even get into a group and learn on the same server.
Keeping up with technology should be paramount for those in the education system as well as for our economy as a whole. . Technology is essential in many of today’s jobs and technology also makes learning easier. Web design and online marketing are making their way to the forefront of the job market because most businesses need websites and marketing. If you need any of these things, companies like Linx Digital Hamilton can help you out and get your business up to date! These are the ways to keep budgets low and keep students learning at the highest level.
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