Bond Issue Pays For Ferris Computer Lab

Thu., Oct. 8, 1998

Amy Scribner Staff writer

In addition to building a new vocational lab, Ferris High School has spent its chunk of more than $25 million in district bond money earmarked for technology.

A new 30-station computer lab bought with bond dollars is open for different classes to use throughout the day, said Ferris technology resource facilitator Brian Sachse.

The Apple G-3s contain software so students can bring work from their home computers to work on at school.

Sachse said the computers have been useful in showing teachers how to incorporate technology into their classes. Communications classes, for example, have used Clarisworks software to produce brochures about how to avoid common grammatical errors ranging from fragments to run-on sentences.

The money also bought 15 new computers in the Ferris library.

Of a $74.5 million bond passed by district voters in February, about $12.6 is set aside for new districtwide technology equipment and another $12.8 for rewiring district schools. Each school is responsible for coming up with its own plan to spend its share of the dollars.

Sachse said the Ferris staff decided a lab accessible to everyone was the best use of the school’s share of the bond money.

“This is just the way our community and our staff sees us using technology,” he said.

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