Technology malfunction hampers start of Barrow school year

Technology director Ed Morrison addressed the board of education for approximately 45 minutes during a work session Tuesday night. The discussion — which eventually led to a back-and-forth on what Morrison believes is an understaffed department — began with the technology department personnel explaining what has happened with the new system.

“At times, the new system will only run for four hours at a time,” Morrison said. “A new server has been purchased. However, it takes seven days to get it and have it installed. No work or data will be lost.”

The new server will cost approximately $8,000.

Productivity computer-wise has been down approximately 30 percent the last two weeks, Morrison said.

The current system does work, however, only for a certain amount of time before a user has to log onto it again. The constant interruptions cause ongoing delays, Morrison said.

The system was tested before it was used in the Barrow County School System and worked fined, technology officials said.

A few students at both Apalachee High School and Winder-Barrow High School still do not have official schedules for the new school. Apalachee principal David McGee, who was at Tuesday’s work session, said approximately five or six students were still without schedules.

WBHS principal Al Darby was not at the work session but it was estimated the same amount of students at his school are also without schedules at this point.

Jamie Gordon of the technology department said schedules are not handed out early because each school anticipates changes will likely be made.

Board member Rickey Bailey said he did not understand why the new system was used when “we did not know if it would work or not.”

Both Gordon and Morrison said the new system did work when it was tested but problems came up later.

After the discussion surrounding the issue of the new system, Morrison told the BOE that he continues to receive comments about his department being “lazy” when it comes to fielding calls about repairing computers.

He said it is difficult to make immediate responses during the summer when computers have been disconnected and placed in the hallway because classroom floors are being waxed.

Morrison also said he only has five full-time technicians and three part-time technicians who are paid $10 per hour to cover all schools in the system. He said he asked for an additional full-time technician last year but that it “never made it to the budget” process.

Board member Lynn Stevens said she is also tired of the criticism leveled at Morrison’s department.

“The criticism is not warranted,” Stevens said. “Five full-time people and three-part time people are not enough to meet the needs of all the people with computer needs in this system.”

Board member Mitch Churchill said it was “time for people to put on their ‘big boy’ and ‘big girl’ pants when it comes to taking criticism.

“If they don’t like it, they need to go somewhere else,” Churchill said. “As elected officials, it is our duty to hold our department heads responsible.”

However, Stevens continued to stand by her defense of Morrison and his department.