PCS receives grant for calculators

Perkins County Schools has recently received a $2,100 grant to purchase 20 TI-84 graphing calculators. 

Deanne Bishop, high school science teacher and district curriculum director and Brooke Lee, high school math teacher, decided to apply for a grant to supplement the 50 graphing calculators already in use. 

During the 2016-17 school year, the State of Nebraska began requiring all juniors to take the ACT, creating the need for calculators to be checked out to all juniors, regardless of their math classes. 

This project was funded by a grant from the John Russell Applegate Fund administered by Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation. 

Prior to receiving this grant, the 50 calculators already in use were only checked out to upper-level math and upper-level science students. 

Bishop said it was difficult to teach these upper-level courses when they were trying to train students how to use different calculators. 

Training students how to use the same calculator has been beneficial for both students and teachers. 

Seniors who are taking upper-level science or math classes are also able to check out the calculators.