by Hannah Caudell
The Habersham County Board of Education approved the radio system intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Habersham County on Monday night, as well as the donation of surplus property from the technology department to Rabun County E-911.
The radio agreement is an annual IGA with automatic renewal, and the school system will be required to pay its share for operating the system, totaling $177,804 using Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or EPLOST funds.
The board also approved the removal of an old internet tower from the Cornelia Elementary School campus, which is no longer in use. That tower, which was property of the school's technology department, will now be surplussed and donated to Rabun County E-911, which has agreed to remove the tower from the premise.
Assistant Superintendent David Leenman told the board on Thursday night during its work session that school administrators would like to partner with Rabun County E-911 to remove the tower, which they will in turn use for their own purposes. Removing the tower this way will not cost the school system, and Rabun County E-911 could potentially remove other out-of-service towers on school properties and repurpose them in the future.