The 2020 pandemic showed our country the importance of utilizing technology in the classroom, and significant changes are on the horizon for schools in New York State.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the approval of an act to fund projects that will provide school districts and classrooms in the state of New York with the proper technology needed to assist with education and security.
According to an article from Gitnux, 73% of U.S. teachers report their students' increased access to computers has made the learning and teaching process easier for them. 96% of teachers say that using technology in education helps students become more engaged, as stated in a Smoothwall study.
Usherwood works with numerous schools to help ensure they are armed with the highest quality equipment to ensure smooth school days for staff and students. Over 150 of our clients are active schools, and Usherwood believes providing the best tools is essential to help schools shape the minds of the youth and help teachers move through their day-to-day work lives.
The Smart Schools Bond Act is a big step forward for New York in improving the shaping of our education system. If you are unaware of what this plan entails, we will highlight all the details in this article and what this act means for New York State school districts.
What is the Smart Schools Bond Act?
The Smart Schools Review Board is a board of school districts that makes investment decisions for innovative schools by reviewing eligibility criteria and specific guidelines. However, the funding of the investment plan comes from a $2 billion bond act, the Smart Schools Bond Act. Voters approved this bond act in the hopes of bringing improvement to school technology and security as a whole. After nine years, we finally see that act significantly moving forward.
The security of schools is a high priority for New York State, and this act aims to further ensure all students and staff feel safe where they come to teach and learn. The plan recently announced by Governor Hochul focuses on providing more financial assistance to ensure schools have robust technology for students to learn from home and at school in a practical environment.
The Smart Schools Bond Act will assist schools with providing students and staff with devices such as tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, as well as interactive whiteboards, computer servers, and wireless connectivity. The investment plan aims for $31.4 million to help evolve education in a technology-based age and help evolve school security. The security tools that will be financed include video systems, emergency classroom notification systems, and entry control systems.
What Does the Funding Go Towards?
- $7.2 million will go towards technology for the classroom
- $16.6 million will provide high-tech security systems
- $7 million will ensure school connectivity in public and non-public schools
The total amount each school district receives for each category varies, as it depends upon what exactly each school is in explicit need of.
It's Time to Learn From Challenges
The COVID pandemic of 2020 and the rising numbers of gun violence have shown everyone the importance of technology and security in America today. It's critical more than ever now to provide schools with the proper funding to ensure proper, safe education.
During the pandemic, Americans were scrambling to figure out how to continue school from home when some students and staff lacked the tools needed. Now it’s time to take the challenges the school system has been struggling with these past few years and transform them into a learning opportunity to improve things for staff and students. The Smart School Bond Act will take what we've had to learn and apply technology-based solutions to 61 school districts in the state.
"We have the means to immediately respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as embrace this once-in-a-generation opportunity for the future with a historic level of funding that is both socially responsible and fiscally prudent," Governor Hochul said during her announcement of implementing the bond act.
A Plan to Keep Schools Safe
Usherwood has assisted schools not only with managed IT services and printing services but with security as well. An example of Usherwood’s collaboration with a school client is Northwood Schools in Lake Placid, NY. To see how Usherwood helped Northwood adapt to new education changes during the pandemic, take a look at our “Case Study: Usherwood Helps Northwood School with Online Confidence and Security” article.
We supply many of our school clients with video surveillance systems and sensors. We’ve assisted with installing cameras in schools, cameras in student pickup-drop-off areas as well as crosswalks frequented in school areas, and cameras in parking lots. These cameras are detail-oriented and are even capable of detecting or recognizing license plates.
There are many types of advanced security technology these days to keep businesses like schools safer. The series of cameras Usherwood works with are Verkada and Axis. With the Verkada Dome series, people analytics, monitoring usage with occupancy trends, streaming footage in superior quality, and 30-Days Cloud backup features are available, as well as environmental sensor security devices.
Verkada Environmental Sensors are also a type of security device Usherwood has been offering clients. They measure environmental details in designated areas such as humidity, motion, temperature, and pressure by converting the physical quantity measured into electrical signals. These sensors help receive real-time environment alerts and reduce threats. They even now detect vaping in bathrooms and locker rooms by reviewing air quality in a particular space. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 14.1% of high school students and 3.3% of middle school students reported they use e-cigarettes. With these environmental detectors, those numbers and real-time environmental threats could be reduced.
With the advanced funding opportunities that were announced by Governor Hochul, security cameras and sensors catching detailed data such as license plates, fence-line alerts, if suspicious people are loitering, and certain environmental threats can become more widely available for schools. Now schools can bring enhanced protection to their students and staff.
