Macon County Schools secures multiple technology grants
MACON CO., Ala. (WSFA) - The Macon County School District is getting a big boost when it comes to technology.
Excitement filled the George Washington Carver Elementary cafeteria as Macon County Public School leaders announced it secured a number of technology grants. The grants total nearly 1.2 million dollars.
“It’s an exciting milestone for our students,” said Dr. John Curry Jr., Macon County School Technology Director.
One of those grants is a federal emergency connectivity funding grant. That grant will allow every student enrolled in the district to take home a device as part of the “1 to 1″ home initiative.
“This will provide our students everything they need to be able to operate remotely from home,” said Curry.
Curry says they will assign 1250 iPads to students in K-6th grade and 950 laptops to students in 7th-12th grade. He believes this will ensure that students have every resource possible to succeed.
“We’re in a Black Belt, and we’re in a rural area. And our students need the best to be able to compete with our surrounding vicinities,” said Curry.
The company that will provide some of the devices was on hand to show shareholders what students will take home. 525 Technologies CEO Travis Bozeman says with the pandemic and remote learning access to technology is key.
“A lot of school districts and a lot of kids have to have those devices in hand. Being a part of this is really big for the company and big for the community and for the students as well,” said Bozeman.
Curry says they hope to get these devices in the hands of students by October. He says in the meantime they will begin work now to get the procedures and policies established ahead of the rollout.
Macon County Schools is the recipient of two previous apple grants. One in 2014 and another in 2019. So students have had access to devices in school and now will also have access at home.
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