The Panorama School District will be upgrading its wireless internet system this summer as it prepares to implement its 1-to-1 tablet initiative by the 2015-16 school year.

Superintendent Kathy Elliot says the upgrade will cost a total of $127,000 by the time it is put in place, but she calls it a necessary measure that will ultimately benefit teachers and students.

“Every classroom will have its own access point so that we have plenty of coverage.  And as we know, a lot of our kids have devices in our pockets now and so this (upgrade) is actually going to allow every classroom to have 50 devices that can be used–whether it is the one we’re handing to them or the ones that are in people’s pockets.”

Elliot says some of the cost for the upgrade will also go toward the building and implementing of a safer firewall for the district.

Once the new wireless system is in place, Elliot says there will be enough infrastructure for school officials to further prepare for the district’s 1-to-1 initiative, which will likely be different from those adopted by other area schools.

“We’re looking at more of a tablet rather than a computer.  We feel like the next generation is really about wanting the more mobile kind of device.  Plus, honestly a computer itself has a lot of moving parts and so just having enough people to actually service those can be a challenge.”

To hear more from Elliot as she discusses more about the latest happenings in the Panorama School District, tune-in to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County on K107 during the 9am, noon and 5pm hours.