Operating committee tables vo-tech software upgrade again
GEORGES TWP. – An integrated software package that the director of the Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School was hoping to purchase to upgrade the school’s system will have to wait at least another month, after members of the school’s operating committee voted Monday to table the matter again. The motion to approve the purchase of a “total school” data management system from Pittsburgh-based Logic House Inc. was discussed at length during the committee’s meeting, even though the software got a ringing endorsement from Dr. Geraldine Grant, Brownsville Area School District Superintendent and current Chief School Administrator for the vo-tech.
She said the software is “magnificent in what it can do,” and recommended that committee members approve the purchase for the vo-tech, though she and others would not be able to afford purchasing the package for their districts because of the price, an estimated one percent of a district’s total annual budget.
“It has a lot of features, but for us, $180,000 is just not feasible,” Grant said, referring to her district’s $18 million budget for 2002-03.
Grant said that the vo-tech would make a good trial site for the software so that school board members and administrators that are considering a purchase of the Logic House package could look at it more closely before making a decision about it in their home district.
“It is to our advantage as a whole to have the AVTS utilize this system, then we know its pluses and minuses,” she said.
Grant said Laurel Highlands Superintendent Dr. Ronald Sheba had also seen the software and agreed with her recommendation to purchase the package for the vo-tech.
Director John Fibbi said the cost would be $35,000 initially to purchase the software and an annual maintenance fee every year following. He said the software would handle a number of applications, including accounting, bookkeeping, student accounting, student attendance and point of sale cafeteria information, and a purchase of this particular software would be equivalent to upgrades in the current systems that are needed now or will be required in the next two years.
“We will have to upgrade the payroll system by 2005 at a cost between $28,000 and $32,000 plus $6,000 a year for maintenance. A point of sale cafeteria system would cost between $8,700 and $15,000 plus annual fees,” he said. “We are going to have maintenance costs, regardless.”
He noted that at least $15,000 of the $35,000 initial cost would come from the cafeteria fund and nursing program, and another $5,000 might be available through the efforts of REACH (Reaching Educational Achievement with Community Help).
Committee members were not as concerned about the up-front price, but raised an eye as to future maintenance costs that they feared could escalate as more information was included in the system as it became increasingly used at the school. Fibbi said the costs would start at $6,000 after the first year and increase based on student enrollment.
Albert Gallatin Area Superintendent Walter Vicinelly said he has seen the software package presented to him twice and was impressed by its capability, but had financial concerns about the cost of annual maintenance and the effect on his district.
“The size of this program is so massive and the more you add to it, the cost has to increase,” he said. “I’ve heard a range between $6,000 and $50,000.”
Andy Dorsey, board member in Brownsville Area, said his district is already saddled with financial problems and said he didn’t want to see higher maintenance costs force directors in his district to pay more to the vo-tech.
John Gruskowski, board member in Albert Gallatin Area, said he has not heard information about any other software companies that might be able to do the same work.
“I am not questioning the efficacy of the program,” he said. “However, this sounds like snake oil, period. We’re putting all our eggs in Logic House, and it doesn’t sound right to me.”
Committee members voted to table the motion until at least the March meeting, marking the fourth time action on the purchase has been delayed. Brownsville Area board member John Evans was absent Monday.
In other business, members voted to hire Tara Karwatsky as Secretary to the Assistant Director at a $15,000 salary and voted to name Sharon Swaney and Jennifer Seese as part-time cafeteria food service workers, with their salaries set by the collective bargaining agreement with the Service Employees International Union.
Members also approved hiring in-house personnel for summer maintenance after an inventory has been conducted, approved the renewal of an Agreement of Affiliation with Uniontown Hospital from Feb. 1, 2003 through Jan. 31, 2004, and approved a summer food program at the vo-tech.
Members congratulated Robert McGill and Amy Walters, January honorees by the Fayette Chamber of Commerce as Students of the Month for January, and congratulated the 14 students who won medals at a recent Vocational Industrial Clubs of America competition.
Six students from Uniontown won medals, followed by three students each from Albert Gallatin and Brownsville, while Laurel Highlands had two students who medaled.
Finally, Dr. Edward Jeffreys, assistant director, said enrollment this semester is stable at 341 students, with an 89 percent attendance rate. He said he was pleased with the enrollment, especially with the many delays and cancellations caused by the winter weather.
He also announced an open house will be held at the school on March 20 from 5 to 8 p.m.