Schools Awarded Grant to Buy More Smart Boards

East Providence's middle schools will soon be getting a little smarter. 

The school system recently learned that it has been awarded $99,840 from the Champlin Foundation for Technology to buy smart boards for Edward R. Martin and Riverside middle schools. 

"East Providence School District is honored to receive this tremendous award from the Champlin Foundation and looks forward to bringing this new technology to the students and teachers (of) Martin Middle School and Riverside Middle School," a news release from the district stated. 

The interactive white boards will be used in math classrooms at the middle schools. The technology, along with multimedia software the department already owns, will allow students to touch, see and hear complex mathematical equations, according to the release. 

The district is expecting to receive the funds some time in December, according to Patricia Iannelli, administrative assistant to Superintendent Mario Cirillo. The project will then go out for bid. Delivery and installation is expected some time in March. 

The recent award marks one of several technological upgrades the school system has sought. Smart boards are already in place in some schools and computers have been replaced.