Schools
Hatboro-Horsham Hires IT Consultant
Leesport-based JLR Consulting will help guide the Hatboro-Horsham School District's technological future.
Hatboro-Horsham School District has hired a technology firm to plot its short-term and long-term technology needs, assess infrastructure and security and ultimately, guide the hiring of a new director of technology.
The school board on Monday approved hiring Leesport-based JLR Consulting at a rate of $130 an hour for the estimated 288 to 360 hours of work. In all, the district could spend between $37,440 and $46,800.
Assistant Superintendent John Nodecker said some "efficiencies" found since the district's previous technology director retired several months ago will pay for the entire study.
The study is the district's latest move toward a more technologically advanced system. The board last month approved spending $160,000 on technology equipment to move forward with the district's hybrid learning pilot in 16 classrooms.
"If we don’t have our students on that platform they’ll be left behind," Nodecker said.
Nodecker said the board in July approved seeking requests for proposals from technology consulting companies. Of those, Nodecker said four groups "qualified" to do the study.Following initial interviews and "extensive references," Nodecker said JLR Consulting was the "clear favorite."
The company was supposed to make a presentation during Monday's meeting, but officials said a representative was unable to attend at the last minute.
Nodecker said JLR representatives were working to fix another client's technology problem. He said the board should not worry about the company being unreliable, as a board member had suggested.
"The recommendations were as good as I’ve heard," Nodecker said. "They said they would work through the night if they had to."
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