At an introductory meeting prior to an engagement, the Headmaster of a prominent New York City school stated that his school would need to compete in the future with technology as well as with his school's traditional academic offerings. This is an excellent starting point for a discussion on technology, of which Internet technologies (e.g., n-tier architecture database driven web applications) are a considerable subset, for schools K - 12.

A school's Internet presence matters because it is increasingly the vehicle of choice for:

• Marketing and attracting new students
• Alumni awareness building and participation
• Development and other fundraising activities
• Enhanced communication at reduced costs

Given current economic realities and budget constraints, it is tempting to postpone dealing with technology issues until absolutely necessary. The temptation should be resisted, as in most cases technology may hold the only solutions to address tightened budgets and ever increasing costs. Technologies, including Internet technologies are already providing some schools with significant cost-saving solutions.

Creating student web teams to take responsibility for some site maintenance, in manner and commitment similar to the school newspaper and yearbook, provides students with first-hand experience and valuable skills. Students could receive credit and acknowledgement in college applications and schools benefit from having a community of tech savvy resources.

We invite you to read on for a sense of how core topics of interest to all schools are being addressed, and where applicable, to offer "Best Practices."