Chippewa Valley Makes $1.9M Upgrade to District TV

Chippewa Valley's latest technological upgrade will change the way students and teachers watch TV and videos in district classrooms from now on.

The district will spend $1.9 million to remove the wall-mounted CRT TVs currently in its classrooms and replace them with the 21st century equivalent–an IP video solution.

The IP video solution is a centralized data network will allow teachers to pull video and television directly from their computers and onto the classroom's making wires, cables and giant docks filled with VHS tapes and discs obsolete. 

"It's going to be a great service for teachers," said Craig McBain, technology director. "The beauty of it is teachers are already connected (to the system) because they are just going to use their laptop to go to a website and click on links to the channels and video-on-demand that is stored."

Sentinel Technologies, Inc. will remove the CRT TVs from each classroom and flat screens will replace those removed from common areas.

However, with the removal of the CRT TVs comes the removal of the digital clocks mounted above the sets.

Analog clocks, which always show correct time due to their wireless GPS, have already been installed in most buildings.

"You never have to go around and correct them or reset them because they get a wireless signal to keep them in sync," McBain said.

The district will spend an additional $73,638 to finish installation of the clocks in Chippewa Valley High School, , the Chippewa Valley Ninth Grade Center, Wyandot Middle School and Algonquin Middle School.

The company hired to remove the TVs and install the new system will provide the district with credit for what the TVs are deemed to be worth. McBain said the district expects them to do responsible, ecological recycling with the sets.

The IP video solution and GPS clock systems projects were planned as part of the 2010 bond issue and will be paid for by the 2010 Building & Site Funds.