Clifton schools reveal $1-million fiber-optic network

CLIFTON - The district's new fiber optic network will allow seamless phone, Internet and video communication and can handle the district's growing use of online resources while increasing energy efficiency, school officials said.

Eric Mountain, coordinator of instructional technology for the district, unveiled the fiber optic network at the Board of Education meeting Wednesday night.

"Now the teachers can get what they want, when they want it, and so can the students," he said.
The new network uses fiber cables to transfer data and support telephone and Internet use. The network will connect 2,800 computers and servers in the district's 18 schools. The fiber lines have a 20- year lifespan.

After voters rejected the district's budget last spring, some residents questioned whether the network, which cost nearly $1 million, was needed.

Mountain said the district's old network, which used T-1 fiber optic lines, could not handle the district's shift toward Internet- based education. Teachers now use a number of Web sites during classroom instruction, for professional development and for lesson planning. Students take some tests online. In addition, the district now uses about 200 smart boards, or interactive white boards that connect to the Web.

The new fiber optic network is more energy efficient than the old one because it will eliminate the need to have a server in each school building, saving the district $100,000 over the next five years, Mountain said.

Next school year, the new network will allow for live videoconferencing, virtual field trips, video lessons on demand and sharing of lesson plans among teachers.

Also next year, parents will be able to view their children's grades and attendance records online. Some board members, who stressed the need to better engage district parents, lauded the improvement.

"We need to increase parental involvement in this district," board President Michael Urciuoli said. "Let's get behind our school system. The more engaged we are, the more successful we'll be."