The North Carolina Board of Education has approved Kannapolis City Schools to receive nearly $2.6 million in technology money for 2009-2010. That is the largest grant ever received by Kannapolis City Schools. The money is part of the IMPACT through Technology grant sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This is the second year in a row that KCS has received an IMPACT grant.

During 2009-2010, Kannapolis City Schools will receive $2,573,970. That's 65% more than last year. The additional money comes because of how well Kannapolis City Schools implemented its 2008-2009 IMPACT grant. Grant officials commented during follow-up visits to Kannapolis City Schools that KCS had done an outstanding job of using IMPACT money to improve student achievement. KCS was one of four districts last year that received IMPACT money.

Three KCS schools will receive IMPACT money: A.L. Brown High School, Kannapolis Middle School, and Kannapolis Intermediate School. The largest share of the money will go to A.L. Brown: $1,576,800. Kannapolis Middle School will get $488,265, and Kannapolis Intermediate School will receive $508,905. A.L. Brown will use IMPACT money to buy enough laptops for all students to have their own computer at school, and the entire campus will have wireless Internet access. Kannapolis Middle School will buy additional laptops for students to use at school and will add multimedia equipment and other technology throughout the school. Kannapolis Intermediate School will buy additional portable laptop labs and upgrade technology throughout the building. The grant also will pay for professional development for all KCS teachers to learn how to integrate technology into lesson plans and improve student achievement.

“We're so thrilled about getting this grant,” said KCS Superintendent, Dr. Jo Anne Byerly. “Especially with the tough budget this year, this money will help our students and teachers tremendously. I am so proud of our Technology Director, Brenda McCombs, and everyone at A.L. Brown, KMS, and KIS for the outstanding work they did last year implementing the IMPACT grant. Their efforts are the reason we got more money this year. We have wonderful people in Kannapolis City Schools.”

Because the IMPACT grant provides so much money to A.L. Brown, Kannapolis Middle School, and Kannapolis Intermediate School, KCS can focus its regular technology budget on the district's five elementary schools. This allows all KCS students and teachers to benefit from the IMPACT grant.