Computer Information System Coming to Nutley Schools

The RealTime student information system is coming this fall to the Nutley Public School District.  

The RealTime computer program was purchased to bring a new comprehensive computer tool that will be used by school district employees, along with parents, according to Andrew Levine, the district’s director of technology. The cost of the program has not been released.

The system will track a student’s schedule, disciplinary actions and grades and can accessed by through the Internet, according to the be company hired by the district, Levine told the audience at the Tuesday night Board of Education meeting.

Issues of harassment, intimidation and bullying are addressed on the site, Levine said. Vital information, such as medical records can be stored in the system, and officials said the information will be protected with security technology.  

The system tracks students by scanning their identification cards, so school officials would know if a student went to see a nurse or left the building, Levine said.

RealTime Technology Group provices mobile data collection, developing products that track and manage people, products and equipment easily and effectively anywhere the user goes, according to the company’s website.

The Canada-based company’s system tracks student group participation, the recent growth of mobile data collection devices and development of the latest Windows software, according to the website.

There were no students at the Tuesday night meeting willing to speak on the record, but several teens could be overheard talking about RealTime’s good and bad points.

A school district committee met with four vendors before deciding to hire RealTime technology. The committee members were Jill Divilio, director of guidance; Washington Elementary School Principal Doug Jones; and Lisa Danchak-Martin, who was a parent/community representative. Teachers, secretaries and nurses were also represented on the committee, Levine said.

Danchak-Martin said, “RealTime was not our first, or even second choice, but thanks to the collaborative process, we’re all very happy with the results.”