LOXLEY, Ala. — Dr. Alan T. Lee, Superintendent of Baldwin County Schools, and members of the Baldwin County Board of Education passed a motion to approve a resolution to gain $4.1 million for Operational and Maintenance improvements and Information Technology improvements with funding through the Qualified Zone Academy Bond Issue (QZAB) at a special meeting Tuesday at the BOE Central Annex in Loxley.

Funded through the State Department of Education, the bond was created by Congress in 1997 in conjunction with the Tax Payer Relief Act to allow schools to borrow money at no interest to help better educate students and prepare them for the future and then was revamped in 2008 to assist with school renovations in high poverty-areas or schools with 35 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced lunches.

According to the resolution, the board originally applied for $2.1 million in December and was informed on May 3 by the State that an additional $2 million was available when some districts had to withdraw.

The original application request proposed projects for Foley High School ($250,000), Elberta Middle School ($235,000), Elberta Elementary ($225,000), Gulf Shores Middle ($220,000) to rewire and replace all switches for the IT infrastructure, replace computer hardware at schools ($511,000), Replace chiller, boiler, pump and controls at Delta Elementary (($180,000), Chiller replacement at Elberta and Magnolia Elementary ($170,000 each) and replace air handlers and controls at Gulf Shores Elementary ($140,000).

The additional funds will allow for a pilot program to be implemented at Baldwin County High School where all technology infrastructure will be able to be replaced and rewired and a laptop for every teacher and student in 9th-12th grade will be provided. All other necessary equipment and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telecommunications will be installed as well.

“This is a digital renaissance for the county and I had the opportunity to see it in action when I visited Mooresville City Schools in North Carolina. Their rate of student success went from 60 percent before the program to 90 percent after implementing the program. I believe we can do the same thing and we would be remiss if we didn’t do it,” Lee said.

District 3 member Elmer McDaniel asked how BCHS was chosen and Lee responded that BCHS has the second highest level of poverty and dropout rate sand lowest test scores in the county and he wanted to equip the students who needed it the most and had the least amount of resources with the technology the needed to succeed in school and beyond in college and the workforce.

“Graduating students should be able to work collaboratively and cooperatively and we can make a world of difference for these students with this program,” Lee said.

The repayment will be 85 percent over a 17 year period and $205,050 will be deducted from the annual capital Purchase Allocation leaving a balance of $3.4 million to be repaid.

The expectation is this program will be implemented across the county in the next year or two, Lee said, not only for high school but also for grades 4-8 eventually.