Small Schools, High Tech

“It rocks!”

Dalton Baum, Second Grader at Legacy Academy Charter School

iPads given to every student at Elizabeth Charter School

Back in the day, when I went to St. Columbkille’s Catholic School, most classes started with instructions from the teacher to “take out your books and turn to page . . .” That’s not happening so much these days. It’s not that kids aren’t book learning anymore, but instead of taking out their textbooks, they’re pulling out their iPads. And not just at big city schools—small town schools are going high tech, too. 

In Roy, New Mexico (population 484), students at the K-12 (42 students) are given laptops. That’s where they receive homework assignments, read from online textbooks, follow interactive tutorials, and take quizzes. The school ran into a problem, though, because a lot of kids didn’t have Internet at home so they were coming back to school after hours and trying to catch the WiFi signal outside the building. Not anymore—the Roy school district was recently chosen by the Federal Communications Commission to receive a WiFi station. The signal will span a five-mile radius, which effectively covers everyone living in Roy and anyone passing through. The school is delighted—it’s the only district in the state to get in on the deal—but they’re not stopping with WiFi. Next up: touch tablets for use in the classroom. The tablets will allow the school to download textbooks at a lower cost than buying printed books, and it’ll save the kids from toting a heavy load back and forth in their backpacks. 

Schools in Little Falls, Minnesota (population 7,719), Elizabeth, Colorado (population 1,464), and Tillamook, Oregon (population 4,391) are one step ahead. They’ve already taken the leap and have invested in iPads for their students. In all three districts, school officials say that in the long run online textbooks are cheaper than printed books, they’re easier to update, and their materials are more interactive and interesting for kids. In Elizabeth, the Legacy Academy Charter School is looking at the investment as a way of keeping its doors open. Hoping to reverse declining enrollment, school officials say they are optimistic the high tech approach will have students lining up to learn. 

Read the Articles:

Small school stays high-tech

More LF students to get iPads beginning next school year

iPads given to every student at Elizabeth Charter School

Tillamook School District to test iPads as replacement for print

Prom-ising

“Ours is just a whole different thing.”

Darcy Garretson, Haxtun High School Principal

Jailhouse Rock
Spring is in the air and for young people around the country that means one thing: prom. In towns large and small, prom dresses have been bought and tuxes rented, the hall has been decorated and the music chosen, and the food. What to do about the food? In larger cities, couples go out for an intimate dinner, but in small towns, dinner is part of the prom itself. And what’s a school to do if the town doesn’t have a caterer? Well, the folks in Haxtun, Colorado (population 964) are in luck. They’re neighbors to the Sterling Correctional Facility—a Colorado state prison—which happens to have a culinary training program and catering service. The inmates will be preparing a fine dinner of chicken alfredo, a side of vegetables or salad, and cheesecake. The Haxtun High School principal doesn’t find the arrangement unusual; she says lots of groups in both Haxtun and surrounding communities use the prison’s catering services. Only one catch: the food is takeout only—these guys can’t deliver.
Read the Article ® Prison inmates cater prom in tiny Haxtun

Crazy Little Thing Called Government

“Frankly, it’s none of my business.”

William Sweeney, Retired Bedford Circuit Court Judge

Bedford moving closer to seeking its town status again

Bottoms Up

It's called “Bottom-Up,” and it’s one of those ideas that makes so much sense it’s hard to believe a bureaucrat came up with it. In Colorado, the governor’s office is turning the balance of power on its head and asking local leaders what they think should be done to grow businesses at the community level. And the first thing the state wants to know is: what can we do to get out of the way of your growth? Recognizing that small businesses generate 65 percent of the new jobs in Colorado, the state is willing to throw out the playbook and let communities set their own agendas. A tip of the hat to the folks in Colorado.

Read the Article ® “Bottom-up” approach aims to spur economic growth

World’s Best Little Town, Or Is It?

Bedford, Virginia (population 6,312) boasts a sign proclaiming it’s the “World’s Best Little Town,” but Bedford isn’t a town at all, as it turns out. It’s a city. But it hasn’t always been a city, either. In fact, it didn’t always go by the name of Bedford. Let me back up . . . In 1782 the town was founded as Liberty, Virginia, and somewhere along the way became the town of Bedford. In the 1960s it decided it was a good idea to become a city and in the 1990s toyed with the idea of becoming a shire. Now the city has come full circle and decided it wants to be a town after all—maybe. The city council has been studying the idea for three years and says a decision should be coming soon.

Read the Article ® Bedford moving closer to seeking its town status again

Docs, Cops, & Books

“When they come out of the woods in the pickup truck,
they change and they get into the police car
and then respond to the call.”

Spencer Nichols

Mayor of Pe Ell, Washington

Cash-strapped small town finds cops in the woods

Seed Money for Medical Care

The Holyoke Enterprise · The ground has been broken in the process to hopefully help an interested student through school in order to move back to Holyoke [Colorado] and work at Melissa Memorial Hospital. East Phillips County Board members agreed at their Monday, Feb. 21 meeting to work with Melissa Memorial Hospital Foundation to help “grow their own physician.”

Read More ® Hospital hopes to “grow own” doctor

Mayor Goes into the Woods to Cut Down Crime

KOMO News · A small town [Pe Ell, Washington] with big-time budget problems has found a way to keep police on the street—by using commissioned police officers who are on the payroll of a timber company.

Read More ® Cash-strapped small town finds cops in the woods

No Huffin’ and Puffin’ Will Bring Down This Library

The Denver Post · Built of straw and founded on community efforts, the library in the tiny town of Naturita [Colorado] is getting national recognition.

Read More ® Naturita library named Best Small Town Library in America