Thanks to Measure A funds, Palo Alto High School students will be able to use 32 new iMacs set up in the Paly library over spring break.
This year, Paly’s Technology Management group decided to use funds from the Measure A bond initiative to replace 32 old computers, according to librarian Rachel Kellerman. The Measure A bond initiative is unrelated to the current parcel tax Measure A.
“The Measure A bonds approved two years ago is for buildings and technology and will last for 10 years,” Kellerman said. “The current Measure A, which is a parcel tax, is for people.”
Career Technical Education teacher Pat O’Hara, who is a member of the Technology Management committee, explained that the old computers in the library posed various problems because they did not have their own hard drives. All the documents and applications on the computers came from one computer system stored in the CL-2 computer lab, according to O’Hara.
“Sometimes we had network problems and students would lose their work, and these were the most heavily used computers,” O’Hara said. “It was an emergency situation.”
Kellerman, who also took part in the decision to purchase the new iMacs, agreed that the old computers urgently needed replacing.
“The computers were inadequate for student research,” Kellerman said. “The system was not powerful enough for student resources and the screens weren’t big enough for students to be able to see two pages side by side.”
Many students said they noticed the increased efficiency brought by the new computers.
“I like using them [the new computers] because they are a lot easier and nicer to use,” freshman Charlie Dulik said. “Usually you have to come earlier to get the nice computers.”
While many students approve of the decision to purchase the new iMacs, other students have expressed disappointment with the school’s use of funds.
“To be honest, I think that while they’re really nice, we could have spent tens of thousands of dollars on something better,” senior Sahar Tai-seale said. “Everyone’s complaining about how the books are really old, we could have replaced the books. We could have spent the money on an outreach program or to fund Not in Our School Week. It’s a little flamboyant and ostentatious.”
Students also expressed concern about the new monitoring process in which the staff member in charge has the ability to monitor all 32 screens on the master iMac.
“They’re awesome but I don’t think they [the library staff] should monitor them,” sophomore Lukas Peterson said. “I don’t use them anymore because they can monitor you.”
O’Hara said the new computers provide librarian staff members such as Kellerman with a chance to spend more time helping students with research and book referencing.
“The staff who used to spend a lot of time fixing and troubleshooting computers are now able to spend more time doing normal library staff work instead of having to work with technology and computer problems,” O’Hara said.
According to O’Hara, the school expects to use the new iMacs for around four years until they will need replacements again.
Overall, students said they enjoy using the computers throughout the school day.
“The computers are really fast and they are better than before, they actually function,” sophomore Andrea Hur said. “They have a huge screen and I love that.”