By FULLER ROYAL
Staff Writer

The Columbus County Schools will receive an E-rate grant worth nearly $500,000 this year.

The Dec. 22 announcement from U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre provides $496,782.70 to help with telecommunication services, Internet access and internal connections.

“We’ve just received the funding commitment letters,” said Ken Buck, the school system’s director of technology. “That means the money has been approved.”

Buck will present the grant to the Columbus County Board of Education during its meeting tonight.

This isn’t the largest E-rate grant the system has received but Buck called it significant. The amount varies from year to year.

In a released statement, McIntyre said, “This is great news for the Columbus County Schools and the students they serve

Telecommunications are an integral part of the curriculum in the classrooms, and many schools cannot afford the technology that is available. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, and this grant will afford them an even better education as they prepare for the future.”

The federal funding was awarded under the “E-rate” program administered by Universal Service Administrative Company, a non-profit that is responsible for providing every state in the nation with access to affordable telecommunications services through the Universal Service Fund.

Buck said the money covers the costs of the school system’s wireless, high-speed data network as well as long-distance and cellular phone services.

“We have a maintenance contract with Embarq to keep our phone switches and data equipment,” Buck said.

This is the third school year the school system has been using its wireless network.

“That’s been working well for us,” Buck said.