Several months ago, the state Department of Education created the Office of Rural Education and Innovation to address needs for rural school districts, and be a voice for these schools at a statewide level. Friday, the State Board of Education approved the first round of initiatives to support the identified schools.
The first round of projects include providing funding to expand internet connectivity, promote workforce development, support the development of literacy skills, and combat nonacademic barriers to learning.
The new division is under the direction of Deputy Superintendent Bronwyn Ragan-Martin. The recommendations for the initiatives were made to the full State Board of Education by State School Chief Richard Woods.
“I am delighted that our office is able to begin our work in supporting and providing resources for rural schools and districts in Georgia,” Dr. Ragan-Martin said. “This support will change the lives of students and families in Georgia.”
One of the top priorities is internet connectivity. Governor Brian Kemp directed federal COVID-19 relief funds to double the bandwidth for every K-12 school from 100MBPS to 200MBPS. Most school districts have the capacity within their network equipment to utilize the additional bandwidth, but 43 districts will need to procure additional network equipment to fully utilize the extra bandwidth.
As part of the new initiative, GaDOE will award a total of $1,720,000 to these 43 school districts to help them fully utilize the expanded bandwidth being provided to each school district in the state. Each identified school district will be reimbursed up to $40,000.
“We are committed to supporting rural schools and districts and closing the opportunity gaps that often affect students in rural areas,” said Woods. “These projects undertaken by the Office of Rural Education & Innovation are a strong first step toward the goal of renewing rural Georgia and ensuring every child, in every part of the state, has access to opportunities that will prepare them for a bright future.”
Under this first phase, 57 school districts will receive grants to outfit middle- and high-school Career Tech labs, which will allow students to receive hands-on, industry-standard instruction in career pathways. According to officials, $4,931,061 has been designated to be awarded among these 57 schools.
A total of $18,298,488 will be awarded to 22 school districts to support the implementation of district wide literacy plans. The goal is for designated school districts to develop plans to improve student literacy learning, teacher delivery of instruction, school climate, and development of community partnerships.
Four school districts will receive funding to address non-academic barriers to learning. Ben Hill County Schools, Clay County Schools, Lumpkin County Schools, and Twiggs County Schools will receive $10,000 grants to help them develop school-based health clinics. Additionally, Emory University will provide technical assistance, content-area expertise, and structured planning workshops to each school district during the process. School officials say there is evidence that school-based health clinics lead to improved student performance, reduced dropout rates, less absenteeism, improved staff morale, and more.
