The following description of the use of the TatukGIS Internet Server LITE product for the demographic planning needs of the State of Hawaii school system was provided by TatukGIS client Proximity. Proximity has been a DK-VCL licensed user since August, 2004 and an IS LITE licensed user since October, 2004.
Using TatukGIS IS Lite: Hawaii School District Applications
by Warren Glimpse, Proximity
Contact information: http://proximityone.com/contact.htm
To assess alternative geographic configurations of the State's school districts, the State of Hawaii makes use of GIS resources developed by Proximity using TatukGIS products. The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) had a need to assess the possible realignment of school district boundaries so that resources of schools could best match the needs of the population in areas served by the schools.
The HIDOE turned to Warren Glimpse and his business Proximity (based in Alexandria, Virginia), for assistance in developing a methodology and resource for examining alternative school attendance area boundaries. HIDOE has used Proximity geographic and demographic data resources since the mid-1990s.
One key interest is the ability to assess how school district boundaries might be changed to reflect the urban and rural make-up districts. While 60-percent of the of Hawaii population live in the Honolulu urbanized area, the geodemographic makeup of Hawaii is one of extremes. While Honolulu and a few other urban clusters exist around the State, much of the State remains quite rural.
Glimpse explains, The State of Hawaii is a mix of extreme urban and rural population distributions. The State seeks an ability to examine alternative boundaries for school attendance areas that can better take into account the urban and rural character of the area served. We sought a resource that could serve up alternative map views that could be examined by different people in different locations with varying geographic and socioeconomic interests.
"We made use of the TatukGIS IS Lite resource to set up a map server application focused on Hawaii K-12 schools, attendance areas and related socioeconomic infrastructure.
"The TatukGIS IS Lite resource is an excellent tool to meet our need for several reasons. The first need is a flexibly deployable resource, with minimum development cost and time, having the application support features required for the information consumption and decision making needs. IS Lite meets this need. Second, as map server cannot fully meet the analytical needs, we also needed a resource that has a completely parallel PC-based GIS resource. We have developed companion standalone PC-based applications using the TatukGIS DK developer resource that meets this need very nicely. Third, we needed a resource that is cost effective. TatukGIS IS Lite meets this criteria better than any other option.
The following sequence of graphics were generated using the "Hawaii Decision Making Information" (HIDMI) Web site. If you have questions or would like to visit the HIDMI web site, contact Warren Glimpse at: http://proximityone.com/contact.htm. (Be sure to fill in your e-mail address in the form.)
From the start-up view, the controls below the map are used to focus on the "Big Island" -- Hawaii County.
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Our interest centers on one school district (high school complex). The controls beneath the map window are used to select and zoom-to a specific city/place:
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The zoom-in view of Waimea place now appears. Note the "place" is cross-hatch; the urban cluster is orange. This shows how the IS Lite can be used to flexibly depict layers. In this case, it is easy to see this small place/city in the context of an urban setting, surrounded by rural territory.
Public schools are now added to the view by clicking that layer on in the legend panel.
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A zoom-in view is generated using the zoom-in button above the map window:
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One school is now selected.
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The user is interested in the demographics of the census blocks around the school. The census block layer is turned on in the legend. Since this block is in an urban cluster, as shown by one urban areas layer, we know which blocks are urban and which are rural. The census block where the school is located is selected using the checkbox below the map.
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When the census block is selected, a table is also (automatically) presented, so that the basic demographics of the census block can be viewed. You can see the table beneath the window map controls section.
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Attributes of the street segment where the school is located can be viewed. Using the controls below the map, the street segment is selected.
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A tabular view of the characteristics of the street segment is presented beneath the map window controls.
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