SPLOST IV Funding eCLASS, School Renovations in Gwinnett

School begins in Gwinnett County on Monday, Aug. 6. And although no new schools open this fall in Gwinnett, several construction and technology projects are under way as part of the school system’s SPLOST IV capital program, according to a Gwinnett schools news release.

Voters approved an extension of the 1 cent sales tax for schools in November 2011, and it went into effect on July 1, 2012.

North Gwinnett High in Suwanee and Rockbridge Elementary in Norcross will have to accommodate construction that will bring more classrooms and more modern facilities.

North Gwinnett will have a three-story addition to replace buildings built in the 1950s and early '60s. This addition will include a new Media Center, science classrooms, standard classrooms, special education classrooms and a technology education lab.

At Rockbridge Elementary, the district is removing the original building and some small additions that were constructed almost 50 years ago. The project involves construction of a three-story building, which will consist of regular classrooms, special education classrooms, art rooms, music rooms, computer labs, media center, kitchen, cafeteria, gymnasium and administration area.

Also, GCPS is launching eCLASS, a multi-year integrated enterprise solution.

The GCPS describes eCLASS as an "umbrella" under which one will find existing technology resources and projects, plus resources that will help enhance student engagement and the teaching and learning process.

Also, it will bring together curriculum and instructional resources, assessment items, professional development, student information, and gradebook functions. This will make it easier for teachers to access tools that will help them improve student learning. 

The GCPS notes that 33 schools in the pilot clusters (Archer, Berkmar, Duluth, North Gwinnett, and Shiloh clusters) will have access to the new collaboration tool and will begin leading the way for the district’s Bring Your Own Device initiative.

More information about SPLOST IV and eCLASS is on the GCPS website.