The federal government may buy computers and computer Smart boards for classrooms across Hamilton County.
Sort of.
Pending board approval, school officials plan to use about $6.3 million from a recent two-year federal grant to pay for new hires approved in August by the Hamilton County Board of Education. The grant was slated to save education jobs.
By using the federal money, the school system will save about $4 million from its general purpose fund and, in turn, will use the cash for a systemwide upgrade in technology.
District officials plan to save the remaining $2 million in grant money for any new hires they might need to make because of increased enrollment.
After the grant money is gone, the new hires would go back to being funded out of the general purpose budget, Superintendent Jim Scales said Wednesday during a meeting of the Hamilton County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations.
"The money has to be spent at the schools," Scales said.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its meeting Oct. 14.
Scales' comments on technology came during his annual State of the Schools speech, where he also discussed the school system's budget, discipline reports and upcoming test scores, which are projected to be low because of changes to the tests under Tennessee's higher academic standards.
Parent Diane Winne, who was at Wednesday's meeting, said she was glad to hear the system is getting money for technology, but hoped enough of it would find its way to her children's school, Big Ridge Elementary.
Money for technology will be distributed to schools based on the number of Title I students - those who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. Big Ridge isn't a Title I school, Winne said, so she worries they won't get the equipment they need.
"[The PTA] has had to raise $30,000 for computers and Smart boards," she said. "Every kid needs the same education. It's tough having to raise all that money."