LINCOLN — Lincoln Consolidated School District will be issuing Apple computers or iPods to all the district's students this coming fall.
"We will have a one-to-one digital rollout of computers," Superintendent Frank Holman told the school board Monday night. "We have been working on this for over two years."
The computers are being funded through a combination of sources including federal stimulus funds, state technology grants and growth money the district has received as a result of increased student enrollment.
The district has been working with Apple to get the devices ready by the fall, and the computers and iPods will be distributed along with parental and student training.
"We want to go paperless, textbook-less and pencil-less," High School Principal Mary Ann Spears said.
"Most of the textbooks come with digital versions," District Technology Coordinator Clay Hendrix said. "Apple has been working with many of the publishers to get updates online."
Students from kindergarten to second grade will receive iPods, while students in grades 3-12 will be issued MacBooks.
The devices will be checked out to the students and will extend the learning opportunity beyond the traditional classroom setting, Holman said.
"I want to thank you, Dr. Holman," board member Earl Hunton said. "We saw this program at a national school board meeting a few years ago, and we have wanted to institute it here in Lincoln.
"This school district has been a leader in technology in the state for a long time," Hunton said. "Our technology center, named for Dr. Holman, was one of the first in the state."
"The Lincoln School District has accomplished more in the past two years than many districts do in five years," Hendrix said. "It is an exciting, motivating and hectic time to be the technology director for the district.
"It is all worth it when you see what teachers and staff members are able to do for the students and the projects the students are doing," Hendrix added.
There will be an open house in August where the students, teachers and staff members will be able to demonstrate how they are using digital devices for extending their learning beyond the classroom, Holman said.