Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 8:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 8:14 p.m.
The financial infrastructure for a district-wide digital conversion was given the OK by the Spartanburg District 7 school board Tuesday night.
The multi-phase plan will assign MacBook Air laptops to all middle and high school students and iPads to elementary students in third, fourth and fifth grades. The technology will be handed out to students beginning this fall. Teachers will receive their own devices before the end of the current school year to allow time for professional development and training.
After approving the plan itself in April, the school board took up the financial piece Tuesday night and approved an equipment acquisition totaling up to $6.1 million spread out over the course of four years. The funding will pay for roughly 5,000 student and teacher devices, as well teacher training, insurance, cases and security software.
?This gets us exactly what we need to move forward with our digital conversion,? Superintendent Russell Booker told the board.
Booker said the equipment acquisition will increase the district?s technology budget from roughly $1 million per year to $1.5 million. After the four years, Booker said the district will own the devices and begin to look into replacement and upgrade needs, if necessary.
?A lot of them will be in great shape that we can pass down, but we?ll cross that bridge when we come to it,? he said.
Board member Julie Lonon commented that community feedback on the technology initiative has overall been positive.
?People are really excited about this,? Lonon said. ?I think they do view this as a game changer for our students and our district.?
Board member Eddie Richardson commended district leaders on their funding strategy.
?I?m satisfied it?s the fiscally responsible thing to do as far as us moving forward,? he said.
Source: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130507/articles/305071031
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