PPEL funding is used for security and technology measures throughout the school district

(This is the second in a five part series of articles regarding the upcoming vote concerning the Physical  Plant Equipment Levy. Information was provided by Superintendent of Schools Tim Dugger.)

Tuesday, February 5, 2019, Postville School District voters will have the opportunity to vote for or against the continuation of the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL.

The renewal of the voted PPEL is not a new tax but a continuation of the current levy. 

The tax, currently in place at Postville, helps fund many district projects, including laptop computers, Smartpanel televisions, wired/wireless infrastructure, busses, vans, Suburbans, facility renovations; including, roof repairs/maintenance, windows, lights, flooring, classroom furniture, and playground equipment.

Over the past few years, the Postville School District has upgraded the security measures for the district.  The Physical Plant and Equipment Levy has helped fund these items.  

With recent issues of school safety and security arising across the country, the district felt it needed to take a proactive approach to school safety.  One of the first items on the list was to install electronic locks for all of the exterior doors.  The exterior doors are on a timer system which is locked during the day.  They are programmed to open at the beginning and the ending of the day.  Community members and parents are required to “buzz” the office in order to gain access to the school buildings.  Persons must enter the office before being allowed to enter the schools.

The district has also installed a camera surveillance system.  We have 70 cameras covering the district with cameras watching the parking lots, hallways, exterior doors, and the bus garage area.  The cameras significantly help with keeping an eye on any potential problems and helps with supervision both in and out of the building. 

The other major purchases from PPEL fund are student and staff technology.  The district has spent PPEL money for our one to one laptop program.  The laptops are very important in today’s classroom.  Our students use their laptops for learning in and out of the classroom.  All students in grades 5th-12th receive a school-owned laptop for their use.  Also, staff members have issued laptops for their school-related work.

The elementary school also has iPads for instructional purposes.  They use them from the Kindergarten through the 6th grade.   

The wireless access points infrastructure are also maintained/upgraded on a periodic basis.  Both district buildings have wireless access points for the laptops and iPads.  This allows for the internet to be accessed throughout the district. 

Read more in the upcoming publications of the Postville Herald.