Dexter Community Schools will be putting in a big technology upgrade this summer

Dexter Community Schools is moving forward with its Phase 2 Classroom Technology Project, which will see the district devote up $1.1 million for classroom upgrades.

At its May 8 meeting, the DCS Board of Education awarded a contract for equipment and installation for the Newline86 flat panel and sound boards to Bluum for an amount not to exceed $804,537, while approving a total amount of $1,087,116.87 for this project including the Bluum bid, classroom audio systems, and document cameras, with a 5 percent contingency ($54,355.85) for a project total not to exceed $1,141,473.

The Sun Times News followed up with school board president Mara Greatorex.

She said they will be using the money that was earmarked for technology updates in the bond. This technology update will bring Dexter classrooms up-to-date. A lot of the “current” equipment is from 2008, according to Greatorex.

Rick Munir, DCS Director of Technology, told the school board, “The installation of the new classroom technology is scheduled to begin June 19th, the first Monday following the end of the school year. We will work with Extended School Year and Summer School programs to schedule around the spaces they will be using and will revisit those spaces when they become available. It is our intention to have the installation work completed by the end of Friday, August 11th.”