LONDONDERRY — Local school officials are hoping to save up to $3,600 annually by converting Londonderry High School’s program of studies to an electronic format.

During Tuesday night’s School Board meeting, Principal Jason Parent said the move seems a natural progression as the district has increased its web presence in recent years in efforts to go greener.

“Right now, almost all information can be accessed on our website, and it’s become the preferred means to disseminate school information,” he said.

That information already includes administrative newsletters with hyperlinks taking visitors directly to the school’s webpage, and electronic progress reports, offered since last spring, have been successful.

“The program of studies is the next logical step towards increasing accessibility,” Parent said, noting that the move will be beneficial in helping students navigate the most recent curricular offerings in a way that’s commonly used by colleges and universities.

Board members unanimously gave their blessings to the proposed changes, meaning the program of studies will now be made available online sometime this fall.

The district began posting the program online last year, but continued to offer hard copies of the document to students as they became acclimated to the newer technology.

“Our program of studies is already posted online and referenced continually by our guidance staff and the administration. With the program of studies going paperless, it becomes a live document that can remain current,” he said. “The cost savings will be significant, as we have budgeted $3,600 for the printing of this booklet annually.”

While the complete program of studies will be online, guidance staff will continue advising students in person and providing each classroom with instructions on how the new features work.

District parents will also be advised of the changes during a parent meeting for incoming freshmen in January.

Guidance Director Mike Dolphin said he already uses the online features frequently when he’s emailing parents new to the town as a way of addressing their questions.

“Last year we began moving things out of the (1960s), so I’m expecting the transition to be relatively seamless,” Dolphin added.

According to Parent, around 1,550 families currently access the high school website. A handful of hard copies will be made available for any families without Internet access at home.

“I like this idea a lot,” board member John Robinson said. “My own experience with programs of studies and signing up for parents predates plankton. But one concern I have is making sure this is usable on the average computer.”

Parent said he’s confident that it will be.

“There will still be a lot of hand-holding between our guidance staff and our administrative team,” he said.

Student Anissa Cote, who serves as a student liaison to the School Board, said she welcomes the change.

“A lot of kids tend to lose the handbooks, so having everything online would definitely make it easier,” she said.

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April Guilmet may be reached at AGuilmet@newstote.com.