Some 754 laptops were recently installed systemwide in Covington County Schools.

Superintendent Shannon Driver said the laptops were part of a long-range initiative launched last school year to upgrade technology throughout the system.

Last school year, the system purchased 300 computers for classroom use in the 10th grade classrooms.

“We were able to up that and buy 754 computers this year,” he said. “One hundred and forty-five of those were purchased with grant money.”

Driver said the newest computers were placed in eighth and ninth grade classroom, a couple of computer labs and all middle school and high school libraries. “This is the single largest computer distribution in a single year,” he said.

Driver said the plan is to supply new computers to all grades in a three- to five-year period.

“We will continue to add a set of laptops until we have one for each kid until we get to the elementary school,” he said.

The laptops are for classroom use only and students are not allowed to take them home.

Last year, the system had to under go a $250,000 infrastructure upgrade to accommodate the initiative.

Driver said that technology employees completed the set-up of all the computers in nine days.

“That’s a phenomenal feat,” he said.

Driver said they plan to do the same thing next year.

“We paid for these computers using the interest money from 16th Section monies in reserve,” he said.