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Look
for grants and donations, but don't rely on them to cover your ongoing
costs.
Grants
and donations can be a great help in covering initial outlays for
equipment, materials, and infrastructure supports. Federal initiatives,
such as the Technology Innovation and Technology Literacy Challenge
Grants, provide start-up funds. Also check with private foundations
and corporations, especially those operating in your area.
More
and more schools are setting up nonprofit foundations to encourage
tax-deductible contributions from area businesses and individuals.
Since this is a lengthy procedure, first check with your school
district and then with the Internal Revenue Service to see if this
a workable alternative. Filing the necessary paperwork and obtaining
various approvals can take six months or more, so if you're considering
this step, you'll want to get started as soon as possible.
Businesses
are often willing to contribute used computers and other equipment.
A new tax provision makes such donations even more appealing: A
business can deduct the full purchase price of any computer that
is donated within three years of its purchase. However, donated
equipment sometimes causes more headaches than it's worth. Problems
with compatibility are most common; a computer that won't run your
software is of little use.
Contributions
of time and expertise are often the greatest value a local business
can offer. In California, for example, businesses sponsored a NetDay.
Some 20,000 volunteers got together to run more than six million
feet of wire in the state's schools. Since that event, a number
of other states have followed this "barnraising" example.
Volunteerism can work on a smaller scale, too.
Many
people just getting started with technology think the initial purchase
of hardware and software represents the bulk of their expenses.
But ongoing costs can and should represent a significant portion
of a school's technology budget. According to some experts, for
every dollar you allocate to hardware purchases, you need to budget
50 cents each for staff development, software, and maintenance.
You'll need to find ways of supporting these continuing costs.
Reallocate
your current resources.
Budget
reallocations represent the most stable assurance that you can meet
your technology budget. It may be necessary to re-examine the district's
fiscal priorities (though, like most other small districts, you've
probably stretched each penny about as far as anyone can). Some
states allow schools to use a portion of their textbook allocations
for technology-related purchases. If you receive Title I funds,
you may be able to reallocate some of those expenditures to support
technology costs. In addition, you may be able to streamline some
administrative costs as you reduce paperwork through technology
use.
Look
for ways to collaborate and share resources.
Many
small districts are setting up partnerships with other schools or
area businesses and universities to share--or trade--technology
resources. A little collaborative creativity can result in substantial
savings. For example, one Florida school district allows cellular
telephone companies in the area to build transmission towers at
the edge of the district's football fields. In exchange, the district
receives free wireless access to the Internet. Large grants from
both public and private sources often require that several agencies
are partnering in the effort. So, look at ways that several schools
might collaborate with a university or another community organization.
Explore
the numerous cost-saving options that are now available.
Computer-related
costs are continuing to drop, allowing budget-minded consumers to
purchase more power for their dollars. In addition, there are numerous
low-cost computing tools, such as the Apple eMate and the U.S. Robotics
Palm Pilot; some geared specifically to schools. Be sure your planning
committee does its homework in investigating low-cost technology
options.
Also
look into alternative purchasing methods, such as leasing rather
than buying equipment or financing your purchases through low-interest
loans.
Use
the increasing number of federal and state options for supporting
technology use.
Keep
up with the ever-growing federal and state supports for technology
use. For example, schools and libraries can get substantial discounts
on their monthly Internet, telephone, and other telecommunications
bills, as well as discounts on some other networking costs through
the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The biggest discounts will go
to rural schools and those with the highest proportions of low-income
students. As noted earlier, more information about this act and
how to take advantage of its benefits can be found on the
School
and Libraries Corporation home page.
Beware
of bargains.
Like
most districts, you will be searching for the lowest cost alternatives
for achieving your technology goals. But remember that, with technology,
a bargain is not always a bargain. Saving a few hundred dollars
on a computer purchase may end up costing you more in the long run
if that purchase proves to be outdated in a year or two, or if the
computer isn't compatible with the rest of your system. What may
seem like a more expensive purchase ends up as the real bargain.
We
can't emphasize this enough: No matter how tight your budget, you
can not afford to cut corners on training and troubleshooting. There
is no greater waste than technology that sits unused.
Try
different program and grant resources.
Programs
and grants are available from many sources that range from large,
complex funding efforts from the federal government to small grants
from local business or parent groups. The following list points
to some established funding sources, but many times a local source,
which only you can identify, is the best place to start.
If
you want to pursue a federal education grant, these online resources
offer possibilities.
"What
Should I Know About ED Grants?" from the U.S. Department of
Education
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/about/knowabtgrants/index.html
U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/index.html
U.S.
Department of Education, Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
http://www.ed.gov/programs/techinnov/index.html
U.S.
Department of Education, Star Schools Program
http://www.ed.gov/programs/starschools/index.html
National
Science Foundation, Teacher Enhancement Program
http://step.sdsc.edu/
National
Science Foundation, Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/ESIE/
National
Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.neh.fed.us
U.S.
Department of Commerce, Public Telecommunications Facilities Program
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/ptfp/index.html
U.S.
Department of Commerce, Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure
Assistance Program
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/
U.S.
Department of Agriculture, distance learning projects
http://www.usda.gov/rus/dlt/dlml.htm
Private
corporations and companies are also worth investigating. Some of
these include:
AT&T
- Educational programs
http://www.att.com/gen/corporate-citizenship?pid=7742
Cisco
Systems--Virtual Schoolhouse Grant Program, Networking Academies,
International Schools CyberFair, Educational Archive
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/779/edu/
Microsoft
Corporation
http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/
Other
sources that might be helpful:
The
Computers for Learning project works to place surplus federal computer
equipment in schools and educational nonprofits
"Foundation
Resources, Community Networks, Telecenters, and Televillages,"
an article on private foundation sources for rural communities,
is available through the Aspen Institute Rural Economic Policy Program
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/Programt3.asp?bid=822
or contact:
Aspen
Institute - Community Strategies Group (Formerly Rural Economic Policy Program-REPP)
1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW #1070
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 736-5834
National
School Board Association's Institute for the Transfer of Technology
to Education offers an array of print and online publications targeted
for school leaders
http://www.nsba.org/site/index.asp
or contact:
NSBA
1680 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-6214
Electronic
School
http://www.electronic-school.com/
Mid-continent
Regional Educational Laboratory's (McREL) Funding for Technology
page provides access to a number of reports, articles, strategies,
and sources for funding
http://www.mcrel.org/connect/tech/funding.html (link no longer available)
American
Association of School Administrators. From here to technology.How
to fund hardware, software, and more. (1995). Arlington, VA:
Author.
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