$2.5 million grant awarded to Enterprise schools

The Enterprise City School System will have substantial monetary assistance outfitting classrooms with 21st century technology after receiving a $2.5 million grant.

School officials were pleased to announce during a Sept. 22 press conference that the school system is one of only 26 school districts in the country to receive the Department of Defense Education Activity grant.

Over a three year time span, the grant funds will go toward the purchase of at least 330 iPads, 450 laptop computers, 211 desktop computers, 154 SmartBoards, 50 LCD projectors, 21 document cameras, an expansion of wireless infrastructure and fund the employment of a family support liaison.

A major goal for the Enterprise School System is preparing students to be successful in the 21st century.

In the design and construction of Enterprise High School, school officials were adamant about incorporating technology into every classroom in the high school. This grant will ensure such technology is incorporated into every classroom within the school system.

A team of school administrators, spearheaded by Student Services Supervisor Dr. Irma Townsend, had been pursuing the grant since January.

"Her and this team's efforts have paid off," said Superintendent Dr. Aaron Milner.

Milner said the group spent countless hours debating on the best way to pursue the grant knowing it could have a major impact on the students of the Enterprise City School System.

In the application process, the project was given the name, Operation SEED, or Students Exceeding Expectations Daily.

With 39 percent of the Enterprise School System's population connected with Fort Rucker, Milner said the central office staff was confident they had a chance at receiving the DoDEA grant.

"Enterprise City Schools have always had an outstanding relationship with Fort Rucker," Milner said. "Currently, Enterprise City Schools serves approximately 2,500 students that are affiliated with Fort Rucker ... We realize that Fort Rucker is one of the things that is vital to our success as a school system."

Throughout the history of the school system, Milner said it has prided itself on ensuring military students witness no disparity in their education opportunities.

The system works to make sure students arriving in Enterprise from other parts of the country or world receive a "comparable educational opportunity or a better educational opportunity" inside its classrooms.

"The purpose of the DoDEA grant is to provide support for student achievement at military connected schools," Milner said. "The primary purpose of this grant will be to increase reading and mathematics achievement, to increase our graduation rate for all of our students k-12, and improve the sense of belonging, acclimation among military transfer students."

When students leave Enterprise Schools, Milner said students will have the knowledge to be successful in college and the workforce by providing opportunities like online courses in German and Mandarin Chinese, the ability to create presentations and work collaboratively through the use of technology.

"We know the workforce of the 21st century is going to require this type of training," Milner said, adding the grant will allow Enterprise students to be a step ahead.