Sugar Salem to represent Eastern Idaho

    BOISE — Officials representing 11 Gem State schools will begin the process of placing more technology into the classroom as part of the Idaho Technology Pilot Program of which the Idaho Legislature established earlier this year.

    Sugar Salem High School in Sugar City was selected to represent the Eastern Idaho area, according to a news release.

    “This is another step forward in providing equal access and opportunity to all Idaho students,” said Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna in a news release. “The demand for technology in our schools continues to grow. Through these grants, we will be able to meet the needs of just some.”

    The Idaho State Department of Education received applications from 81 schools across Idaho, totaling $19.5 million in requests for grant funding. Department leaders worked with a committee of experts in education technology to design the application process and then appointed a committee of educational stakeholders to review the applications and select the schools.

     To be eligible, the pilot project had to be a full integration model and had to be designed to improve student academic growth and financial efficiencies throughout an entire school. The project had to be scalable to other schools in Idaho and demonstrate sustainability, statewide, after the technology pilot period ends. Each application also included a research component so the Idaho State Department of Education can evaluate the pilot projects and identify best practices.

     “In the future, we will take what we learn from these pilots and expand our efforts so all students — not just those who are fortunate enough to attend these schools — but every student in Idaho has equal access to the best educational opportunities,” Luna said.

    The 11 selected schools represent a cross-section of schools in Idaho because they are made up of all different grade levels, demographics and from different regions of the state.

    The grant funding for the pilot projects will be for one fiscal year.

    Local school districts were given the option to plan to implement the pilot projects over a one-year or two-year period.

    The Sugar Salem School District received a total of $454,783 in grant money to participate in this pilot program.

    Here is a list of the other schools that were selected: Beutler Middle School in Dayton, Compass Public Charter School in Meridian, Discovery Elementary School in Meridian, Idaho Distance Education Academy based in Deary, Kuna Middle School in Kuna, McCall-Donnelly High School in McCall, Middleton High School in Middleton, Moscow Middle School in Moscow, Park Intermediate School in Weiser and Parma Middle School in Parma.