The Recorder – Innovation Center gives students a needed advantage

Historically, the technological infrastructure in rural schools has lacked in comparison to education centers like Boston, even though students from both regions compete for the same jobs after high school.

Until recently, that was the case at the Pioneer Valley Regional School.

Over the past year, the Northfield school’s outgoing Director of Technology John Heffernan has helped upgrade the school’s digital footprint. Among recent upgrades are a newly renovated Innovation Center and a new vendor that will provide three times faster and less expensive internet to Pioneer and Warwick Community School. Additionally, at a recent School Committee meeting, Heffernan said the district’s server hard drives were upgraded, the Pioneer Language Labs audio system was replaced, robotics kits were purchased, the nurse’s office…