October 20, 2006 Contact: Sue Baker
For Immediate Release 738-2000
Offer of free web space would save schools money, Avedisian says
WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian suggested today that the School Department take advantage of a promotion through which schools can receive free webspace, a move that could save thousands of dollars annually.
Avedisian said that Robert Martin, the city’s webmaster, found that Lunarpages, the web hosting provider for the municipality’s official website, has a new promotion to offer schools free webspace. As part of the program, the company provides a free web builder, free unlimited phone and email support, unlimited email addresses and FTP accounts, 500 MB storage, and 20 GB data transfer for each new account. There is a one-time cost of $119 to enroll.
“If the entire school system took part in such a program, thousands of dollars in savings could be realized, particularly if every employee in the school system took advantage of the free email addresses,” Avedisian said. “Even small savings would help to offset the costs associated with the new teachers’ contract.”
This is the latest in a series of cost-saving suggestions Avedisian has made to the School Department in the past several years. Past recommendations, which have not been approved by the School Committee, have included transferring authority of the city’s adult education programs to the Community College of Rhode Island; creation of an in-house special education program, and merging the School Department’s business, personnel and purchasing offices, along with the maintenance division, with their municipal counterparts.
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