By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Gulf Shores High School is one step closer to becoming the next Baldwin County school to take part in Digital Renaissance.
During its regular meeting Thursday, the Baldwin County Board of Education approved the funding of a project to provide wireless Internet capability throughout the school.
“That’s for infrastructure,” Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee told the board. “It’s not to buy laptops.”
The $150,000 comes from funding left over when launching Digital Renaissance at Baldwin County High School at the beginning of the academic year.
“It appears that there will be funds remaining due to the efficient purchasing of items for Baldwin County High School,” Lee stated in the recommendation.
“It was due to discounts,” Chief School Finance Officer Jean McClutchen told the board.
In addition to those funds, the board approved the spending of $320,000 that would provide the same infrastructure at Orange Beach Elementary School, as well as provide approximately 115 laptop computers for teachers servers and at the elementary and high schools.
According to Lee’s recommendation, Digital Renaissance is funded by municipalities, educational and enrichment foundations and the business community.
“Certain aspects of the digital requirements for these schools are being accomplished with previously approved Qualified Zone Academy Bonds funds specifically for certain schools,” Lee stated in the recommendation.
Before voting, members of the board asked Lee for an update on the newly-started program at Baldwin County High. He responded by recounting a visit to the school the previous week.
“They had a missing computer,” Lee said. “But when the word came out that the police would come, that computer came back.”
He explained that 97 percent of the students now have the computers, for which an insurance fee is charged for using it.
“Two businesses have offered to pay the insurance fee for students who can’t afford it,” Lee said.
The superintendent said Baldwin County High School Principal Johnny Cabaniss reported that he hasn’t had a student sent to his office for disciplinary reasons since the program launched.
“Ordinarily, they would have five a day,” Lee said.
Board members then asked if it would be possible for them to set up a visit to BCHS to see the program’s implementation at the school.
“Yes, it would,” Lee replied.
