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DOWAGIAC — State-of-the-art technology will soon be coming to Dowagiac Middle School and Dowagiac elementary schools.

The Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the purchase of interactive monitor systems for K-8 classrooms in the district.

The touchscreen displays will replace the schools’ old overhead projectors. Instructors can use the monitors to display everything from PowerPoint presentations to instructional videos on YouTube.

The technology was implemented at Dowagiac Union High School in 2017 as part of the bond project.

“This has always been on our radar,” said DUS Superintendent Jonathan Whan. “You can put up pictures and graphs and students can interact with what’s on the screen. The technology allows teachers to save projects to the monitor and connect to their classroom computers.”

According to Whan, the district is able to purchase the monitors using federal funds.

In other business, the district will be conducting the first round of interviews for the vacant DUHS principal position on Wednesday and hopes to have the second round of interviews next week.

An interview committee consisting of staff and administrators has been assembled to evaluate the candidates. Whan is targeting submitting a recommendation for hire to the board by the end of the month.

The district is replacing former DUHS principal Kelly Millin, who left the district after 26 years to become superintendent of Hartford Public Schools.

“We’re looking for an academically experienced person with experience in administration,” Whan said. “We’re looking for the ability to maintain relationships with staff, parents and students. We’re looking for someone who puts the students first and is dedicated to being a Dowagiac Chieftain.”