Community Network Grant Update
Glasscock County and the Glasscock County Independent School District received $250,000 in a Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) grant July 29, 2002 for the purpose of developing a community telecommunications network (Glasscock County News, July 2002). The local school district, which put up $25,000 for the project, serves as the financial agent for the grant’s administration, Superintendent Steve Long is the project director and authorized official, Kathy Wheat is the project’s financial officer, school personnel are to maintain the system and the GCISD board is the final authority on grant-related activities.
Free Public Access to Computers, Internet Available
To date, Long reports that this money has been used to create a public access to computers and the Internet in Kenneth Chandler’s classroom in the local elementary school. There 26 computers, a wall-mounted large-screen monitor, projector and two printers are available for public use. Currently, in addition to school use, the lab is being used for community computer classes, held on Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and is open from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for general community use, including Internet access. [The cost to establish this lab was not available.]
Another public access point created with grant funds is in the school library, which has 22 computers and is also available from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for free public use, including Internet access, according to Brad Jones [Cost of these machines was not available.]
Long says he has signed contracts with both Wes-Tex Telecommunications and T-Three Wireless to bring forms of broadband access to the county. He says this will hopefully allow choices for either landline or wireless access to the Internet, even in remote areas. Wes-Tex is to provide broadband service to the Community Center, while T-Three Wireless is to provide service to the school and to St. Lawrence. The total cost for the first year’s service with these companies is $45,000, to be paid with grant money. Long is not sure what future costs will be, nor what service will cost individual consumers.
Long says future plans for grant monies include 8-station wireless labs for both the Community Center and for St. Lawrence.
Grant Funds Purchase More Computers for School
A separate, $55,000 TIF grant was received by the school and has been used for a 15-station wireless, movable computer lab ($31,000) and 10 desktop computers to upgrade the business class lab ($11,000). In addition, a classroom connection site license was obtained ($12,000) to provide access to an online site for teachers’ use in research and/or class preparation, according to Long.