Perquimans, Edenton-Chowan schools awarded technology boost

HERTFORD

FIVE YEARS AGO, Perquimans Central School was on the brink of its own technological revolution. Now it's sharing its lessons with neighbors.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction awarded the Northeast Impact Consortium, which includes Perquimans County Schools and Edenton-Chowan Schools, a $1.047 million grant for new computer equipment and training.

It was one of four awards handed out statewide and the only one given in the eastern half of the state.

"We have excited the teachers and the administrators," said Victor Eure, technology coordinator for Perquimans County Schools. "This is an outgrowth of what we started five years ago."

Using a $1.35 million grant in 2003, Perquimans Central School purchased new computer equipment for each classroom from pre-kindergarten through second grade and paid for training for staff and teachers.

Rather than just make the computers available for special classes or for occasional use, Eure develop ed a plan for integrating the equipment's use in every classroom.

Each classroom was outfitted with digital cameras, document cameras, interactive whiteboards, video projectors, computers, digital microphones and computer speakers. Every teacher also was given a computer-presentation center where lessons could be digitally projected onto large, touch-sensitive screens.

But school officials were afraid computer work with the younger students could be wasted if the same methods weren't used at the three other county schools.

The county commissioners agreed, and computer equipment for the schools has become a budget priority, Eure said. Core classroom equipment also was purchased for Hertford Grammar School, which teaches grades 3 through 5, and some technology purchases have been made at the middle and high schools.

"This grant will cover the rest of the schools," Eure said.

The school system also developed partnerships within the community to further expand its offerings, from basic Internet to online college courses.

The effort to include the entire school system in the technology upgrade earned the system national recognition in 2006 with the Consortium for School Networking Team Award.

Nelle Hyatt, director of media technology for Edenton-Chowan Schools, said she's looking forward to the new state grant that will give D.F. Walker Elementary School the same opportunity Perquimans Central School had five years ago.

"We're interested in replicating the model in our schools," Hyatt said. "D.F. Walker is just excited to work with Perquimans to see how to make it happen."

The two school systems teamed up, hoping that working together would improve their chances for the grant. Perquimans County High School, Perquimans County Middle School, Hertford Grammar School and D.F. Walker Elementary School, in Edenton, will share the money, dividing it based on student populations in each school.

The grant comes at a good time for Perquimans County High School, which is expanding and will begin work on a new media center next month.

However, the equipment at Perquimans Central School now is 5 years old, said Perquimans County Schools Superintendent Dwayne Stallings.

"The next goal is to replace and repair," Stallings said.

Eure said the commitment to technology in the classrooms will require a regular budget appropriation. But a study at North Carolina State University indicated the 2003 program had a huge impact on reading, math and teacher retention when compared with schools that did not get the grant, Eure said.

"We're trying to make our students competitive globally," Eure said. "You can't fund it halfway and make a success of it."

Lauren King, (252) 338-2413, lauren.king@pilotonline.com