Grant to aid OISD with technology upgrade
Published 10:09 am Saturday, October 17, 2015
By Bobby Tingle
ORANGEFIELD — A district wide technology upgrade will soon benefit students and teachers of Orangefield Independent School district.
The school board approved installation of equipment to provide wireless networking capabilities from any point within the school district during the Monday evening meeting.
Jennifer Gauthier, Director of Technology, presented the proposal for board action.
As approved, the installation requirements and equipment acquisition will occur in two steps.
Step one involves installation of wiring followed by setup and implementation of the equipment necessary to enable wireless devices to access the district network.
A federal E-RATE grant will aid the district in covering the cost of this upgrade. The grant was approved at a 70-percent reimbursement rate to the district.
The upgrade total cost is approximately $170,000 of which the district will be reimbursed approximately $120,000.
According to Orangefield Superintendent, Dr. Stephen Patterson, this upgrade paves the way for students and teachers to take advantage of the latest technology.
Applications and software only available on the internet will soon be accessible using a tablet or laptop.
