Schools

School Board Praises Start Back, Plans for New Student Netbooks

Clarke County School Board discussed the success of the county's first two days during Thursday night's board meeting.

 

Clarke County School Board members lauded a successful back-to-school start during Thursday night's meeting.

Almost 13,000 students in Clarke County's 18 schools started their academic year on Wednesday.Board members said many parents reported that it was an easy transition from summer to start of the academic year.

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"If day three is like day one and two, we're in really good shape," said Superintendent Philip Lanoue "A lot of parents said to me, 'It's almost like our kids never left. They're engaged. They already know what to do.' Of course, there was congestion, and I think it was better today. But in the big picture, everyone was engaged and things were great."

Board members in particular praised the which held its inaugural classes on Wednesday. The Career Academy is a collaboration between the , the , , OneAthens and the local business community. It places 200 high school students on 15 career pathways, where they are able to take college courses, participate in internships and build skills.

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District 9 Representative Ovita Thornton said during the meeting that when she went to the Career Academy, the students were so well-behaved that she thought they were visiting the facility.

"I didn't even realize it was the first day of school," Thornton said. "But I found the kids to be so mature. All the horror stories we were hearing about high school kids in a college setting, it was not true. It will be good to hear midway how this has gone on, but it was nothing like what I expected."

The board also approved a motion to spend about $2.5 million out of the SPLOST Technology Funds to purchase new computers and replace outdated models. The funds will buy 5,155 Asus netbooks, providing students without computers a way to do work for class. Each computer will be lazer sketched with a logo to prevent loss.

"The reason we're choosing netbooks is because of their durability and their cost," Lanoue. "If we have $600 or $700 to spend on a device, it didn't seem the best way to go to spend $700 for a device that'll last five years, knowing how the technology is changing. It seemed better to spend $300 for a device that will last three years."

The funds will also replace outdated laptops that have more complicated software and to replace outdated desktop computers.


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