Cedar Park receives technology grant

Alexis Clark completes a math problem on the Smartboard in Carolyn Tribble's class at Cedar Park Elementary school. (Miranda Remaklus / Democrat Tribune photo)

Thanks to an "Enhancing Education through Technology" grant, every classroom at Cedar Park Elementary School will now have top-notch equipment.

According to Trumann School District's Karleen Sheets, the district won a $195,000 Enhancing Education through Technology grant from the Arkansas Department of Education. The money became available through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

Sheets said the money will allow each Kindergarten through fourth grade classroom at Cedar Park Elementary to have a Smartboard and ELMO document camera. The Smartboard and document cameras will also be put in the art, music and computer labs.

Sheets said part of the funding will be used to purchase 24 new computers along with music and reading software, and to make sure 29 teachers receive the proper training to use the new equipment.

Sheets said district technology employees Mack McCaa and Justin Smith have been very instrumental with getting all of the new equipment set up and software installed.

"Mack and Justin do good work," said Superintendent Joe Waleszonia. "Since Karleen has been here we haven't lacked for technology. None of the technology we have was paid for via school funds, it was all grant money Karleen got for us. As far as technology goes, the Trumann School District takes a back seat to no district in the state."

Sheets said the Trumann District is "very blessed to have gotten what we received" in the way of grant money.