VALDOSTA – A long discussed Verizon cellphone tower was approved for the Valdosta High School campus Tuesday during the Valdosta Board of Education meeting.

The tower, which will be placed on property that will not have future use for the school, will accrue a grand total of $576,543.24 during a 25-year span. With the unanimous approval of the tower, the funds will be used for a literacy program for kindergarten through third grade.

As the board meeting was held at Valdosta Early College Academy, Principal Dr. Johnnie Marshall Jr. gave a presentation about his school and how students are doing.

For the 2019-20 school year, VECA dual-enrollment students earned a total of 744 college credits with a 98% course pass rate. Seventy-nine percent of the students earned either an A or B.

B. Kevin Smith, Valdosta’s chief technology officer, presented an update for the board as the need for technology has increased due to virtual learning.

Currently, 99% of students in Valdosta City Schools have a device and Chromebooks were distributed to all virtual students who requested one.

The system is installing external wireless access points at all schools, central office and transportation office. The points allow students to connect from the parking lots.

Further expanding wireless access, Valdosta City Schools have been given seven WiFi Rangers by the Georgia Department of Education. The devices can be mounted on top of vehicles or placed in facilities. HotSpots have been provided to every family requesting one.

The school is prepped for the chance of a full shutdown, but for now with COVID-19 numbers remaining relatively low during weekly school updates, the system is seeing an increase in students returning to face-to-face learning.

The next Valdosta Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Nov. 10, at Valdosta Middle School. The city teacher of the year will be announced.

All meetings are live-streamed via the Valdosta City Schools Facebook page.