Dinwiddie schools shift documents online

DINWIDDIE -- School info available on Internet

Information about the Dinwiddie school system is just a click away.

The county this week implemented a new online initiative, BoardDocs, that saves the division nearly $11,000 a year and enhances efficiency governance.

The change also frees employees to focus on less clerical work and more on substantive work, said Dinwiddie schools Superintendent Charles Maranzano Jr.

Before making the switch to the Internet, Dinwiddie spent about $18,000 a year printing hard copies of files. Now the system is not only reducing its paper use but saving money as well. The annual cost with BoardDocs is $7,715.40.

Information about upcoming School Board meetings are accessible online. Community members can click on a few links to find the information instead of driving to the School Board office to pick up hard copies of each file.

Once uploaded, the files can be accessed instantly.

"I think before a meeting, it's a great resource, because as soon as it is available to us, it's available to the community at the same time," said Greg McCammon, who represents District 5 on the School Board.

However, some documents, such as those pertaining to student, personnel and legal matters, remain confidential, McCammon said.

Information included on the site extends beyond basic agendas. For the School Board meeting last week, files were posted showing the expenditure summary from July 1, 2008, through January 31, detailing where and how money is being spent.

Each agenda item has a link you can click that takes the user to all the pertinent information regarding the topic. After meetings, actions taken and a draft of minutes will be posted. Maranzano said the school system's goal is to get that information on the Web site the next day.

He said meetings are recorded digitally, which also will be posted to the site. Information will be archived for about 10 years.

Dinwiddie isn't the first school division in the Richmond region to move online. In January 2008, Henrico County schools voted to use BoardDocs, an electronic system by Atlanta-based Emerald Data Solutions.

"The digital world is something we should embrace and not be afraid to enter," Maranzano said.

Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or .