Toombs Updates Board On R-II School District’s Technology Initiatives

Nancy Toombs, Ste. Genevieve R-II School District technology director, updated the board of education on the district’s technology during the September 17 board meeting.

“Our mission is to provide an infrastructure of technology so our students can have a safe place to learn,” Toombs said, “provide tools so that a teacher can conduct their classes, and incorporate technology and provide professional development that’s timely.”

She said it also is done within the district’s budget constraints.

Maintaining the “backbone” of the infrastructure is part of that responsibility, Toombs said. This has included upgrading the district’s firewall and increasing its bandwidth to allow increased internet use.

Content filtering is still in place to keep students safe.

In addition to the computer systems, the technology department also maintains the district’s security systems, including card readers for doors and video surveillance.

This year, new Chromebooks were bought for second, third and fourth grades. All students from kindergarten through high school have touch screens for their Chromebooks.

Meanwhile, every room has a projection board. Smart boards are also available as needed, Toombs said.

See complete story in the September 25 edition of the Herald.