V.H.H.S. students help Dist. 128 save $35,000 by building computers

This past spring, Vernon Hills High School Network Manager Bob Bartnik approached V.H.H.S. AP Computer Science teacher Adam Lueken with an important request: "I need two of your best students to help the I.T. department with some big tasks this summer."

With Lueken's recommendation, Bartnik recruited Harjas Monga and Brian Goldenberg, both Class of 2017, for the tasks. Both students, who plan to pursue majors in computer science after graduating, welcomed the invitation to work for Community High School District 128 this summer building computers.

"This summer we needed to replace the 25 7-year-old desktop computers used daily in our CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) lab," Bartnik said. "I was given a target budget for these replacements of $900 each, yet felt that the unique software configuration required to meet the new demands for 3-D modeling in CAD meant that we needed a much higher-end unit with a high-end graphics card."

While Bartnik researched replacement models, he found that the units that best met the requirements for CAD students ranged from $2,300 to $2,500 each. Rather than requesting a budget increase, Bartnik, along with V.H.H.S. Desktop Specialist Ben Aucutt, opted for an alternative to stay within budget.

"I decided to have Ben design the build," Bartnik said. "We purchased the parts and chose to have students custom build the computers instead."

In the end, the custom build project is saving District 128 nearly $35,000.

The project has been a rewarding learning experience for the students as well.

"I'm reading constantly on the web and in books about the areas of computing that I want to pursue as a career, but this is the first time I've actually gotten my hands into the hardware," Monga said.

"It sure beats working at McDonald's for the summer," Goldenberg said. "I love the hands-on experience with the hardware and already it's given me a much broader understanding of computing."

Once the project is completed, both Monga and Goldenberg will spend the remainder of the summer helping the V.H.H.S. IT staff prepare over 400 Chromebooks needed for incoming freshmen as part of the district's Digital Learning Strategy, and will learn how to install wiring and access points for upgrades to the building's Wi-Fi system.