Schools Receive State Technology Grant of $66,163

To further an existing technology effort, Conejo Valley schools have received $66,163 in state grant money to upgrade wiring, add cables, purchase computers and buy software.

“We are absolutely overjoyed,” said Pat Pelletier, a principal on special assignment with the Conejo Valley Unified School District, who wrote the grant. “The money was available to all school districts so long as they were willing to match the award. Frankly, we weren’t expecting [to receive] so much.”

The biggest chunk of the so-called Education Technology Grant--$22,500--will go to Thousand Oaks High School. The two other high schools will split $29,797. Elementary and junior high schools will divvy up $13,866.

As the school district’s most sprawling school--and thus the most difficult location to wire--Thousand Oaks High was a natural choice for the award, Supt. Jerry Gross said.

Right now, Thousand Oaks High is crippled with old wiring that cannot support many computer functions, said Greg Barker, a social sciences teacher who is active in the school’s technology plan.

Students wanting to use the Internet--with adult supervision--can use only one computer in the library. Teachers also have only one computer to log onto.

Within the next few years, Barker said, the school hopes to have Internet access in every classroom, a television production studio and other technological accouterments.

The grant “isn’t going to cover everything,” he said. “But we’re $22,500 closer than we were.”

The award, paired with $130,000 from a block grant last year, will go a long way toward wiring the school by the end of summer, he said.

“Everyone is excited,” Barker said. “With this faculty, we’re all pulling in the same direction. So people who have never touched a computer are getting excited about what the educational possibilities may be out there.”

Among the possibilities are the ability to computerize grade and attendance reports, the opportunity to scan library resources from the classroom, and the chance to conduct historical and scientific simulations on the computer.

The Conejo Valley school district recently embarked on a $2.1-million technology drive expected to last 18 months.