Urban Education Newsletter Jan./Feb. 2000 published by the Council of Great City Schools http://www.cgcs.org

The nation's big-city school distritcts answered the question "Are urban school districts ready for Y2K?" with a resounding yes as they opened their doors to the new millennium without any major Y2K computer problems.

A survey of 53 urban public school systems conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools on Jan.3 showed that they opened the Year 2000 with minimal technological problems. Many urban school districts began working a couple of years ago to get their computerized instructional, financial, personnel and operating systems Y2K ready.

One of those districts was Jefferson County Public schools in Louisville, Ky., which was recognized by the U. S. General Accounting Office as better prepared for potential Y2K computer problems than any other major school system in the nation.

"We believe our success occurred because of our high level of preparedness" said Superintendent Stephen Daeschner of the 104, 338-student district, which began working on Y2K in 1993 when it was discovered that a computer tracking graduation dates read "00" as 1900 rather than 2000.

In taking an early lead, a number of urban school systems contributed to a publication called Squashing the Millennium Bug: A Year 2000 Compliance Guide for Elementary/Secondary Schools and School Districts that was produced by the Council of the Great City Schools. The U.S. Department of Education distributed the guide to every school district in the nation helping everyone with the problem.

-- Jeanette Thomas (ou_2000@berkshire.net), February 12, 2000