The Lauderdale County School District has been awarded a $478,246 distance learning grant from the USDA. The funding will be shared between the Lauderdale County, Amite County, East Jasper, Walthall and Marion County School Districts, with Lauderdale County directly receiving $235,555. That money will be used to place mobile distance learning carts on nine of the district’s 12 campuses, according to a news release.

 “This will help us provide more advanced and foreign language classes on campuses,” LCSD Career & Technical Education Director Kevin Cheatham said in a release. “These carts can be moved from room to room. They will come equipped with a computer, and they will allow students to interact directly with a teacher. With this technology we could even partner with the Smithsonian Institute on projects.”

 The Lauderdale County School District will buy seven mobile carts with the funding. Starting in January 2019, the carts will be used on all West Lauderdale, Southeast and Clarkdale campuses.  Northeast schools were not eligible for funding because the schools are within Meridian’s city limits. The district is exploring other options to provide the carts on the remaining campuses.  

The USDA’s distance learning program helps rural communities use technology to connect to other parts of the world, according to the agency’s website.