BY MATT HERSH

The school district’s push toward revitalizing their technology department recently got a boost with a new hire.

Colleen Moran was hired to fill the new position of applications manager for the district. The $65,000 position was restored to the district’s budget during Town Meeting season despite the objection of some fiscally conservative officials.

Moran is a Salem resident who will begin working with the rest of the district’s technology department in July.

She currently works for the state Department of Environmental Services as a software developer and has more than 20 years of experience in the technology field.

Together, Moran and the staff will try to perform a large upgrade of the district’s technology.

Superintendent Michael Delahanty said Moran will begin her job by assessing the district’s current use of technology. By studying the current system, Moran will be able to see if the district is best using their technology.

“She has a good sense of the advances she can bring that will make our service to the community more optimal,” Delahanty said.

This optimal technology system will allow the district to reduce man-hours spent tending to problems and fixing errors.

Delahanty said he hopes to see an improved system that will allow the students, parents, and community members to better access the district.

In the future, students may be able to choose classes online while parents can pay bills and view grades on the district’s Web site, Delahanty said.

“Within the next year, we need to consider drawing more functionality from our system or consider getting a new one,” he said.

Once Moran has assessed the technology changes that can be made, she will train other staff members in using new applications and better using old applications.   

The district also recently hired four elementary school teachers and a guidance counselor.

They are still seeking candidates for a middle school consumer sciences teacher and a high school foreign language teacher.