The Bristol Borough School District is going through a number of changes and upgrades in the 2017-2018 school year.
At their most recent meeting, the school board listened to a brief presentation by the superintendent of the district, Thomas Shaffer. Shaffer outlined grants the district received, technological updates that are planned, physical renovations and curricular changes for the upcoming school year.
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The district has received the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. The funding supplies the district with $399,000 every year for a total of $1,198,800. The money from that grant goes towards after school, summer and college awareness programming, Shaffer explained.
The district also received an early childhood transition grant. The $10,000 grant will help with kids moving from early childhood education into kindergarten.
Technology upgrades are coming to the district over the school year, Shaffer said.
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The entire district is moving to Google Education, meaning that email, calendars, data, contacts and classroom management will all be able to be managed via the online platform. Students in grades three through 12 will receive Google accounts to help them stay in touch with their teachers and on top of their work. On top of all of that, the internet access speed is getting a huge bump, from 150 mbps to 900 mbps at the beginning of October.
At Snyder-Girotti Elementary School, 95 new Chromebooks, 83 new wireless access points, five new shared printers and one new color printer are going to be set up. Wireless access has been a problem since the construction of the school, according to Shaffer, but the upgrades will fix that.
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In addition, the high school is receiving 150 new Chromebooks, five new shared printers and two new color printers.
The curriculum has been updated district wide, Shaffer explained. Different reading, math and science programs have been pursued and the district also added two new AP courses this year, bringing the total to four. Bristol Borough High School now offers European history, American history, chemistry and calculus as AP courses. To help make sure kids are college ready, the school is also financing the PSAT for all sophomores and juniors, the superintendent said.
Officials also gave an update with the transition that moved middle schoolers into the high school on Wilson Avenue. The high school now houses students in grades seven through 12.
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“It’s like they have always been there, and I know that they are excited to be out at the middle and high school,” explained Kelli Rosado, the district principal.
In other news, the high school recently received upgrades including a new ceiling and lights in the cafeteria, upgraded bathrooms, a new electrical panel and mezzanine renovations.
