N-B Feedback: Southern Wells fifth- and sixth-graders to get Chromebooks

Southern Wells fifth- and sixth-grade students will have Hewlett-Packard Chromebooks as one of their educational tools next year.

By a 4-0 vote Tuesday night, Southern Wells School Board members Doug Klefeker, Bob Prible, Chris Smith and Chad Roush approved a 1-to-1 program using the 11-inch laptop devices.

While not wanting to vote against a motion to approving of the purchase of the Chromebooks, however, Roush said, “I’m not sure I want kids to be on a computer all day.”
His concern is that children already are so conditioned by the computer age that they spend a great deal of time on computers and personal electronic devices. School was one place where that pattern was broken.

Learn more about the costs, rules and proposed education opportunities in the Wednesday, April 30, News-Banner and by clicking here.

But share your thoughts here. Will students spend too much time in the digital world? Should students be allowed to take them home? What are the advantages and disadvantages, and which should matter more?

Garage sales and HazMat Day scheduled this weekend

The citywide garage sale is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and HazMat Day is slated for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Bluffton Middle School.

Learn more about both events, as well as the scheduled clean-up, in today's News-Banner. To download the list of garage sales, click here. For a list of the acceptable HazMat Day items, visit the city's website and under "Latest News," click on "Household Hazardous Waste Day Clean Up."

N-B Flashback: Ready, Aim, SPLAT

Wells County Economic Development wrote a check Monday morning to a local company, and group members hope it is the first of many more.

Carmatech Engineering, a local startup firm that produces high quality paintball guns, was awarded the first loan from a new revolving fund made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Enterprise program. The fund includes a partial match by the Wells County Economic Development Corp.

In April of last year, Carmatech owner David Williams explained the engineering behind his paintball gun and how hoped to market to the "hard-core" paintball enthusiasts.

Learn more about the loan in the Tuesday, April 29, News-Banner.

N-B Video: "Wheelchair slalom" racers compete in Special Olympics Bluffton Invitational

Racers weave their way around orange cones at Fred F. Park Field Saturday during the first-ever Special Olympics Bluffton Invitational, hosted by the Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department, the YMCA and Bluffton High School. Learn more about the 20 events and the athletes in the Monday, April 28, News-Banner. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

N-B Video: Historical Museum opens season with new look and new items

The Wells County Historical Museum started its summer season with some changes inside the building. Learn more about the museum's season in the Saturday, April 26, News-Banner. (Video by Dave Schultz)

State seeks more Ind. 1 expansion input

The public’s concerns regarding the $2 million South Main Street expansion project are being heard.

That was the assurance from Indiana Department of Transportation officials Thursday at a public meeting and open house at the Wells County Public Library.

Learn more about the meeting in the Friday, April 25, News-Banner, and download here a copy of a feedback form, which INDOT requires for paper feedback. The form should be mailed to the address listed near the top.

Residents can also share their opinions online by clicking here.

 INDOT is accepting comments through Friday, May 9.

(Some of the) Wells County school numbers are in

The Indiana Department of Education has spread a 500-plus piece puzzle out on the taxpayers’ and parents’ tables.

When it’s assembled, officials say, the completed picture reveals their schools’ performances.

School administrators, however, say it appears that some pieces of the puzzle are either missing or inaccurate.

For instance, the state requires the districts to report how they spend their money. In particular, school officials must tally the percent of expenditures dedicated to academic achievement. In the 2012-2013 school year, Northern Wells, Bluffton-Harrison and Southern Wells dedicated 43.2, 50.3 and 53.9 percent of spending respectively for “academic achievement.” However, the numbers don’t reveal what specific expenses exalt academic achievement.

This category would presumably include teacher salaries and benefits, but does it also include classroom supplies? Does it include interactive white boards, such as the SMART Board technology? What about instruments for the band? Band students need them for academic achievement, and yet, they are perhaps more costly than typical classroom supplies but impact a smaller percentage of students than textbooks.

Or does the state instruct school administrators to tally musical instruments, SMART Boards, and crayons and scissors under the “instructional support expenditures” category? The state doesn’t list any examples to help clarify the distinction between the two. Instead, according to the guide that complements the statistics, “percent academic achievement expenditures” is defined as “percentage of total spending for academic achievement.” Also, “percent instructional support expenditures” is defined as “percentage of total spending for instructional support.” The statistics also don’t trace the districts’ spending for academic achievement back to the districts’ schools.

Furthermore, the report doesn't specify if the percentages represent an average of the district’s three schools’ spending for academic achievement? Do individual schools make such distinctions?

Learn more about the reports — and see the reports — in the Thursday, April 24, News-Banner.