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Many Hall Co. classrooms need technology upgrade

By B.J. Williams
Posted 8:03PM on Monday 13th January 2014 ( 10 years ago )
GAINESVILLE - With the start of a new year, the man in charge of technology solutions for the Hall County School District says he is working on a proposal to make sure all of the county's classrooms have adequate audio visual equipment.

Aaron Turpin, the Executive Director of Technology, told the Hall County School Board Monday night that about half of the district's classrooms have A/V equipment that's five years old or older, or in some cases, have no equipment at all.

"Some of the classrooms may have projectors but no audio, some may have audio with only 10 watts - and we need about 30 watts - in a classroom," said Turpin.

He said most under-equipped classrooms may have smaller television sets, but those are not suited for the technology that most learning environments require.

"There are so many instructional resources now that are prepared for digital natives, and we have to have some way to project them."

A tight budget is the culprit when it comes to adequately equipping all classrooms with the latest equipment. Turpin said he is working on a technology plan to present to board members. Superintendent Will Schofield said during the meeting the technology plan could be reviewed at an upcoming board retreat.

YMCA may get break on student fee

The Hall County YMCA could get a financial reprieve from the Hall County School Board if a proposal from the superintendent gets board approval.

For five years, the YMCA has contracted for after-school care at each of the district's 20 elementary schools. The Y has paid a monthly fee per student served for clean-up and utilities.

"We've come to the conclusion that they're losing money, we're not losing money; they're providing a great service for our students and for our families," said
Superintendent Will Schofield. "The recommendation is going to be to stop charging that $1.25 per student fee per month"

Schofield estimated that the YMCA serves about 1,000 students in its after-school program in the Hall County School District. The board will vote at its January 27 on the fee cessation.

Time changed for January board meeting

Hall County School Superintendent Will Schofield announced at the work session that the time for the January 27 board meeting will be 4:30 p.m., which is 30 minutes earlier than the normal time for monthly meetings. The meeting will be held at the Board Central Office at 711 Green Street in Gainesville.

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