With the coming economic changes to Arizona's education system, schools across the state will have to adapt to a different environment. The students at Empire High School are no exception to this rule. In fact, the school's emphasis on technology — which is what makes it different — will most likely be the area that takes the most budget cuts.

There have been several options already tossed around about maintaining a technology-based high school. For one, laptops are going to be reused. If a freshman wants a brand new Apple, then he or she is going to have to pay for it. The pros of this idea are that upperclassmen will not experience many changes and freshman have the opportunity to own their computer all four years. However, the negative side is that when it comes time for middle school students to pick a high school, they may not choose Empire. One of the reasons people come to Empire is for the free, new laptops. If that component is removed and students have to pay for their new laptop, the novelty of Empire is slightly taken away. Still, this might be the easiest way to save money and provide strong educational tools for all students.

Life at Empire is going to have to undergo changes in the next couple of years. The novelties that students enjoy now at school will most likely be very limited in the near future. Hopefully, Empire's success with laptops will not diminish even though the freedom students have concerning technology will decrease.

Although there has been a recent technological wave in the United States, schools will probably face a setback in those improvements. The economy will not allow educational technology to develop much further due to costs. The luxuries of computers will have to be limited. Not only that, but teachers are also being let go. From individual schools to education overall, change is soon to come, and the only thing students can do is adapt despite the setbacks in the environment.

Brandy Clary
Teacher/Empire High School