Lowndes OKs $400K for Chromebooks

Published 10:40 am Wednesday, May 16, 2018

VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Lowndes County Board of Education has approved the purchase of 2,000 Chromebooks for more than $400,000.

The Chromebooks will be purchased from Arey Jones with 1,965 Lenovo 100e Chromebooks costing about $406,656 and 35 Lenovo 500e Chromebooks costing about $10,803. The board also approved the purchase of 45 AverCharge C36i+ from Troxell for $52,200 at its May 14 meeting. 

SPLOST funds will be used to pay for the Chromebooks, carts and accessories. 

Assistant Superintendent Ken Overman presented the 2019 tentative budget and finance report; both were approved by the board. 

The total estimated revenues in the preliminary budget is $113,675,946, and the total estimated expenditures $104,893,946. The estimated fund balance for July 1 is $33,295,480, and the estimated fund balance for June 30, 2019 is $42,077,480. 

Overman said the monthly Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collection for April, about $1,075,716, was the highest SPLOST collection for April since 2013. 

Randy McPherson, Vikings head football coach and athletic director, provided an athletic update at the meeting, where he said a few words about Lowndes High School senior Jaylen Lott who passed away Sunday in St. Augustine in a drowning accident.  

McPherson said Lott was a senior on the LHS football team. 

“A tremendous kid, never a problem at school (and) nothing but a team player,” McPherson said. 

As for the update, he said there are a total of 1,405 males and 1,358 females participating in all athletics. He said Lowndes County Schools had seven region champions this year, which included baseball, girls basketball, boys cross country, football, softball and both boys and girls track. 

The LCS Hero of the Heart Award was presented to Elisa Williams, a teacher at Pine Grove Elementary School, during the meeting. Jennifer Holloway told the story of how Williams helped save her son, Brody, when he was choking on a sucker at school. 

Superintendent Wes Taylor said the Hero of the Heart Award went to an employee who went far beyond the call of duty. 

LCS Title One Reward Schools were also recognized during the Monday evening meeting. 

Clyattville Elementary School was designated as a high-progress reward school for the third year, Lake Park Elementary School was designated as a highest-performing reward school for the sixth consecutive year and Pine Grove Elementary School was designated as a highest-performing reward school for the second consecutive year. 

Kimberly Cannon is a Reporter with The Valdosta Daily Times. Her extension is 1376.