MACON, Ga. — If you look close enough, you can see that what a Bibb County math teacher writes on his smart board appears on his student's laptop.
Hunter Wilder uses the same technology in the 4th grade at Heritage Elementary.
"Our smart board, they'll use that technology to show us what we're going to do on our computer while they're doing that," Wilder said.
Superintendent Curtis Jones wants to take their technology to the next level.
"I believe every elementary, middle, and high student should have a device that they would be able to use in class or at home so it would just become a part of their world," Jones said.
Principal Jennifer Askew and Director of Tech Services Rose Powell say the one-to-one technology improves academic performance.
"If a child is more accelerated, they're working at an accelerated pace. If they're at a lower level, possibly have a learning disability, it may look like everybody else's, but it's dialed down to their level," Askew said.
"The teacher does not have to take the test home, grade them for two or three days and then get the information back. That's giving the students instant feedback and the teachers instant feedback in knowing where the students are," Powell said.
It's about a $10 million plan that will take about three years to complete.
"SPLOST funds will cover the devices for those students. It's a part of our plan. We won't be able to do it all at one time because as receipts come in, we'll be able to roll it up a grade level at a time," Jones said.
He's willing to do whatever it takes to keep Bibb County students academically competitive in the digital world.
"Other school districts, other countries are implementing technology now. We're not losing ground at this point, but if you just stay where you are, you fall behind, so we need to make sure that this next ESPLOST can get us to where we need to be by the year 2025," Jones said.
Jones says the costs will be a combination of ESPLOST funds and federal grants.
If approved, every student at every grade level would have their own device starting in 2021.
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