OMSD recognized at council meeting

The city council recognized the Ontario Montclair School District's 125 anniversary during their meeting Tuesday night.

Superintendent Virgil Barnes gave the council a brief overview of the district.

The district is that second largest in southern California with 23,000 students enrolled, he said.

The mission of the district is to improve student's performance, he said.

Barnes said the district is doing their best modernize the technology at their sites. At their upcoming May 21 meeting, the school board will discuss "a $2 million investment that would  put smartboards and laptops in every school," he said.

The item would ensure that every classroom would be wireless by the start of the 2010 school year, he said.

Mayor Paul Leon commended Barnes for taking on the task of updating technology.

"A smartboard to me it went from black to green," he said.

Prior to her election to the council, Debra Dorst-Porada served on the school board.

Dorst-Porada said she recalled when the district was searching for a new superintendent. Since his arrival, she said he has made an impact in a positive way.

"Our kids are privileged to have such a marvelous man," she said.