Hall Co., other N.Ga. school districts receive state Wi-Fi funding

GAINESVILLE - The Hall County School District is one of 103 local education agencies in the state that will share in a multi-million dollar grant from the state to boost Wi-Fi access at schools.<br /> <br /> The State Board of Education voted Monday to contribute more than $14.8 million in bond funds toward grants that will allow the agencies (one charter school and 102 public school districts) to improve their internet infrastructure, part of a larger effort to ensure all classrooms have the high-speed broadband access required for digital and blended learning.<br /> <br /> The Hall County School Board learned Monday night that the district will receive just over $565,000 as part of the Connections for Classrooms grant program.<br /> <br /> That amount is about one-third of what the school system had requested, according to Executive Director of Technology Aaron Turpin. <br /> <br /> "This will help us along our path to modernize the Wi-Fi in all of our elementary, middle and high school classrooms," said Turpin.<br /> <br /> He said his staff has already started the process of updating classrooms at every county school.<br /> <br /> "We'll have our first school completed in the middle of January and we'll have the entire project completed in 14 months," said Turpin.<br /> <br /> Other districts in the region that received funding as part of program included Buford City and Commerce City Schools, as well as county systems in Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Gwinnett, Habersham, Jackson and Lumpkin. A complete listing of award amounts is linked below.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/10/281205