Ogden Newspapers photo by Ron Agnir

KEARNEYSVILLE – Students in schools in Jefferson County – as well as Berkeley and Morgan counties – will receive slightly used government computers, obtained and donated to them by local Rotary clubs.

“This is kind of a big, exciting project because five clubs came together,” said Julie Siler, Shepherdstown Rotary Club president.

On Feb. 24, the participating presidents, other Rotarians and area school officials met at Jefferson Orchards to watch the first of three shipments of federal government computers from Annapolis, Md. arrive.

Over 2,000 CPUs and 800 monitors came in that Thursday, with more on the way.

Ralph Dinges, Jefferson County Schools assistant superintendent for construction and maintenance, said computers from the state limits the county in the usage of them. He said it can really be determined on a local level what is going to be done with these machines.

“What we’re going to do is get rid of the ones with age on them and have issues,” he said.

Paul Hercules, director of technology for Jefferson County Schools, agrees.

He said with the funds each year, there is only so much the technology department can do.

Jefferson County Schools will distribute them on an “as-needed” basis, Dinges said.

“As a school system, we’re excited about it,” Hercules said. “They look like a good find, and we’re eager to get moving with them in the classrooms.”

Gail Woods, public relations officer for Jefferson County Schools, is excited to see the benefit for the students.

“It’s absolutely wonderful,” she said. “And we really appreciate something we can use.”

Siler said she hopes this is something that spreads.

“Maybe this can be a benefit to other counties in West Virginia,” she said.

Jefferson Orchards will store the computers until the end of the month. Any surplus can be given to nonprofits.

Nonprofits looking to obtain a computer can email jsiler123yahoo.com.