Fiber Optic System Coming to Winnacunnet

The Winnacunnet School Board approved Tuesday roughly a $2,000-to-$4,000 increase in this year's Winnacunnet High School expenditures to cover added service costs generated by the building's soon-to-be-installed fiber optic cabling system.

WHS Principal Bill McGowan said it'll take 60 to 90 days for Comcast to outfit the building. He said the fiber optic system will allow the school to "greatly" increase its bandwidth, providing new opportunities to stream videos in classrooms, among other things.

McGowan said there's funding in the current budget to cover the projected additional service costs.

On a related note, the school board and administrators are expected next year to budget, or request though a warrant article, money to bring wireless Internet access to the entire WHS campus.

The large project has been a controversial issue over the past two years, and the school board decided against bringing it to the 2013 annual school district and town meetings.