During the joint meeting, all furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE) measures were passed by both the BOE and Public Buildings Committee. FFE expenditures are designated as movable furniture, fixtures, or other equipment that do not have a permanent connection to the structure of the building. These expenses are borne out of the money acquired by bonding for the school renovations.

Included in the FFE budget for the soon-to-be renovated high school were $106,749 for classroom equipment, $74,274 for custodial equipment, $607,772 estimated for furniture and $91,204 in allowances for additional equipment. The furniture and equipment budget for the high school totals $879,999.

Also part of the approval was the technology plan for Watertown High School. This includes teacher work stations, student work stations, language lab, CADD lab, network printers, network equipment, servers and Smartboards. The total cost will be $1,108,875. Alternate items include additional Smartboards, laptops with carts, printers, software and additional work stations and monitors for $34,789.

Combined with the high school FFE, a total of $1,988,874 was approved.

The technology plan for Judson came to $283,283 plus $34,789 in alternates, totaling $318,072. Further FFE items including $31,563 for custodial equipment, an estimated $160,038 for furniture and $96,000 for playground equipment (approved in a separate motion) brought the total to $570,884.

During the BOE's regular meeting discussion was held on completing the FFE purchases for Swift Middle School. Upon the completion of the acquisition of all the equipment the BOE may find necessary, the town can expect to receive the construction reimbursement from the state for construction costs.

"We have carefully examined opportunities to enhance our instructional program and academic program across the district," said Superintendent Karen Baldwin.

One particular item on the agenda was the purchase of a Follet server and software for Swift Middle School. The system is reported to cost $36,426.70 as it appeared on the March 2 Town Council Agenda. The council voted to table the item as the information was not presented to council members due to a miscommunication.

Interim Director of District Operations Gary Miller provided a presentation on the advantages of the system.

"You're going to have all these wonderful new libraries and you have old software to manage your circulation. This is an opportunity as we go through the building projects to take advantage of the fact the state is paying for over half the cost of things," said Mr. Miller.

The Follet server and software would provide inventory tracking assistance for all books owned by the school system, including all textbooks used in individual classrooms.

The software can also be used to keep records of where portable classroom technology is located.

As Mr. Miller explained, "The system also includes asset management, which means we'll be able to keep inventory of technology items, cameras, LCD projectors. Also, textbook manager, allowing us to take control of all the textbooks, to know what we have, where it is, how old it is, when it was bought, what we paid for it, and who has it."

The system would be bought through the building project, and has three years of licensing and training included into the cost.

"It has the capacity to handle not only Swift, but we can add in the high school when the renovations are finished, and eventually we would add in Judson," said Mr. Miller.

BOE members Kevin Killeen and Tom Lambert both expressed that this system "is long overdue."

Ms. Baldwin commented, "This is well within the budget for the Swift Middle School project."

During the Superintendent's report, Ms. Baldwin gave updates on school renovations. The traffic light design for the high school will go to bid this week and the State Department of Environmental Protection has granted its approval of the 500 year flood plain plan for Polk School. However, required approval from the State Department of Education is still pending.