DeRuyter, Tully school districts get state funding for technology improvements


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ALBANY, N.Y. - Eighty school districts and seven education schools in New York State have been awarded more than $75 million in state funding, most of which will go towards technology improvements.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo authorized the funding allocation Monday afternoon. Projects that will receive funding include classroom technology purchases, school connectivity projects, high-tech security projects, and the construction of prekindergarten classrooms.

The Tully Central School District was awarded $104,000 toward "school connectivity" projects, which involves improving Internet access for students. About $40,000 in state funding was awarded to the DeRuyter Central School District to make technology improvements.

The funding will give districts the tools to prepare their students for life after school, New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said. 

"It's sometimes hard to imagine just how quickly and radically technology is changing our lives," Elia said in a press release." More than ever, our students need an education that prepares them to use and master the new technologies that will solve the world's ever-more complex problems."

In total, the governor approved 88 investment plans totaling $75.6 million. The funding is part of the Smart Schools Bond Act, a law passed in 2014 that allocates funding for education technology initiatives.

A summary of the 88 approved plans is available here.