Money, money, money! A major surplus in city funds combined with whiz budgeting skills gives George Mason High School a technology overhaul. With the economy in the public mind though, these purchases take many by surprise.
By late this October, the FCCPS receive all of the technology from the recently made fortune. Among the new improvements for our school are Apple TVs and iPads for the science department, a student accessible Wi-Fi network, 350 Macbook Airs for volunteer teachers and student use, and more.
"When I came to Mason, I was surprised by the lack of infrastructure we had," said Mr. Steve Knight, Instructional Technology Coordinator. "All of this is absolutely exciting."
So exactly where did the money come from? This year, the City of Falls Church had a budget surplus of about $3.6 million. After some discussion, the City Council decided to allocate approximately $1.3 million to the School Board. And the money kept rolling.
Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones explained while sitting in her sunlit office, "We then requested $500,000 which would go with the $200,000 that we had already set aside last spring in our technology budget." And with a laugh she added, "We were able to get excellent pricing and more than a million dollars of technology for $700,000."
"It will help us do things we wouldn't normally be able to do," Ms. Jen Parsons, science teacher, stated, toying with a 3D molecular model on her iPad.
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