BUTLER TWP - LuAnn Byrnes, a former Butler School Board member and the parent of a student in the district, attended the Butler School Board meeting Monday night to ask board members to consider upgrading technology.

Byrnes' request has to do with parent involvement in the schools and with their children's education via the Internet.

Specifically, she asked board members if they would support implementing a Web-based program that would allow parents to track their students educational progress online.

"There is no information, as parents, that is automatically available to us," she said.

Currently, the district uses a feature called Homework Hotline, which allows parents to call in to see what assignments their child has for each class.

Byrnes' Web-based suggestion would allow parents to do more than check their child's homework assignments. It would allow for them to interact with teachers and check their child's grades at all phases in the grading period, rather than just four times a year when report cards are issued.

The Deer Lakes and Seneca Valley school districts are among those that have some sort of Web-based programs for parents, Byrnes said.

Board member Penelope Kingman suggested Byrnes' request for Web-based grading and information be added to Wednesday's education committee meeting agenda, Kingman is chairwoman of that committee.

"I think those things are both very important and need to be discussed," Kingman said.

Assistant superintendent Jerry Slamecka said he had brought a similar idea to the board several months ago and added another company that provides such services would be coming to talk to the board in February.