By Hannah Caudell
Many Habersham County students are about to get brand new Chromebooks.
On Monday night, the Habersham County Board of Education voted unanimously to purchase 500 new Chromebooks through Princeton IT Services Inc. for $241,555 using Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) money. The move was made to replace old Chromebook models while also ensuring students are learning without distraction.
The 500 Chromebook purchase, Superintendent Patrick Franklin said, will help the school stay compliant with distraction-free learning legislation, or House Bill 340 and House Bill 1009.
“We had students using their own devices at our high schools,” Franklin said. “Well, that’s no longer allowed by law, so we need to furnish them a device and also replace the ones that are going to age out.”
House Bill 1009, in particular, actually doesn’t go into effect until 2027, but like the school system did with House Bill 340, schools are putting the law into practice a year early.
Chromebooks will be replaced and used at Cornelia Elementary School, North Habersham Middle School, South Habersham Middle School, Wilbanks Middle School, Habersham Ninth Grade Academy, Habersham Success Academy and Habersham Central High School. At the high schools specifically, the new Chromebooks will serve to replace old Chromebooks while promoting a distraction-free learning environment.
The board of education also approved the final reading of the employee leaves and absences policy. The changes to this policy are in direct response to Senate Bill 148 and House Bill 1118. According to Habersham County School System Human Resource Director Angela Robinson, these bills changed accrued sick leave policy and added paid maternal birth leave.