JAY — School Committee members voted unanimously Thursday to table action on the elimination of an elementary school position until after May 15. That is the last day staff has to confirm they plan to retire from the school system.

Teachers spoke out against cutting the technology integrator position because they said it was an important part of education for the future. It also helped them integrate technology into the classroom and enhance students’ education by learning to develop top-notch research projects that include PowerPoint presentations and picture illustrations.

School Committee members want to see if there would be any money in the budget, if veteran staff retires, to keep the position.

“I think the computer person is very important,” committee member Michael Schaedler said. “I don’t want to see our elementary kids go in reverse.”

Committee members did vote Thursday to eliminate one position, the middle and high school alternative education education technician, effective June 16. The person in that position will move to a special education position, Superintendent Bob Wall said. The program will go on under the guidance of two teachers.

Wall said the new RSU 73 board, which will be elected Tuesday, April 19, could approve the 2011-12 budget and sign warrants for the vote by May 15. The position is not in the budget. That board will govern the Jay-Livermore-Livermore schools which will officially consolidate July 1.

Prior to Thursday’s vote on the positions, Wall said, if you eliminate the position, it does not mean you eliminate a person. If the position is eliminated, in the next month administration would look at ways to see if they could find another position to put that person in.

The position has been on the chopping block for several years. For the last two years it has been funded by federal stimulus money. However, that money goes away this year. Any federal Job’s Bill money, another source of funding, is being used in the 2011-12 budget to save staff at the high school level, Wall said.

Committee member Dan DiPompo asked elementary school Principal Chris Hollingsworth what the position does.

The person who is in the certified position does a class with kids and works with teachers on what they are working on in class, Hollingsworth said. The person also helps him with testing by making sure all students’ names are entered into the computers and that computers continue to function during testing. The person also instructs teachers how to operate new technology, such as a Smart Board, an interactive whiteboard, he said.

This year the person also taught one or two classes at the high school, he said.

There has been a technology person at the school for 13 or 14 years. It became a technology integrator position in 2005, when Wall introduced it.

There have been computers in schools for a number of years, and teachers should be able to integrate technology into their classes, Wall said.

“Are we enabling people not to use computers to teach kids?” Wall asked.

“I teach six subjects,” Elaine Fitzgerald said, adding she doesn’t necessarily have the time to research the newest technology and implement it in the classroom.

Several teachers spoke in favor of keeping the position.

“I’m here every year fighting for this position,” teacher Donna Labbe said. “I believe in it that much.”

She said the position helps do project-based learning.

Both Jay and RSU 36 school systems have technology standards that students are required to learn at the elementary schools, and both could use the position, teachers said.

“I am so proud of Jay Elementary School. Look at our scores. Jay Elementary School is at the top. I don’t want to lose what we have,” Fitzgerald said.

She asked the board to “please, please keep it. You are getting your bang for your buck.”

[email protected]