School board changes time of work session on budget cuts

COLUMBIA — The Columbia Public School Board voted Thursday morning to change the time of its March 20 work session from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. so that more of the public will be able to attend.

The board will discuss and vote on budget cuts and considerations during the work session. The list of possible budget cuts and considerations will be given to the board at its March 10 meeting for review.

Board President Karla DeSpain brought up the motion.

Also discussed at Thursday morning’s work session was technology in the school district.

Julie Nichols, head of instructional technology in the district, gave a report on technology practices.

The report contained information about the technology and media specialists in the district, but it centered around the SMART Board, an instructional tool that provides teachers with a technology to engage students in learning in the classroom.

SMART Board technology projects lessons from a computer and allows students to interact on the board just like they could on a white board or chalk board. Teachers can access lessons on their computers and present them to the class.

Nichols said the district’s eventual goal is to have SMART Boards for use in up to 500 core classrooms.