School safety comes at a small price so Cherokee County can make sure school principals are available in an emergency.

Superintendent Dr. Bill James can reach all school principals on a cell phone and Blackberry device when there is inclement weather, a power outage, or other situation which requires their assistance.

“By providing administrators with cellular phone and data access via a Blackberry, the district is able to ensure administrators are accessible and that each has access to student data contained in PowerSchool, the district’s student information database,” district finance director Ben Childs said. “This is a factor that greatly enhances the safety of each school and each student and ensures timely communication to parents regarding their child.”

Cell phones and Blackberry devices are provided to 63 Cherokee County school administrators at a fraction of their normal cost .

The school district’s mobile phone bill was $1,103.08 for November of 2009 once discounts were applied from the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program.

Established by the federal Telecommunications Act in 1997, the E-rate provides discounts so schools and libraries can have affordable access to telecommunications and information services. The district is reimbursed 80 percent of the cost for superintendent Dr. Bill James and other school administrators to have free long distance and unlimited contact between mobile numbers within the Verizon Wireless cell phone network.

These are among the highlights from a copy of the Cherokee County School District cell phone plan obtained Jan. 25 by The Gaffney Ledger following a Freedom of Information Act request. The newspaper had requested information on the type of phones and individual cell phone plans provided to the school district’s administrators.

The school district uses a General Services Administration (GSA) federal contract for cell phone services.

All regular cell phones are provided to the district at no cost. Cell phones have been issued to all school principals, middle school and high school assistant principals and school district department heads.

Childs said the district pays the total cost and is reimbursed at the end of the fiscal year from the federal E-rate program.

“For example, the November invoice that is attached totals $5,515.39 of which the district will receive $4,412.31 back from the E-rate program, leaving a net cost of $1,103.08,” Childs said. “Since the district is utilizing the GSA contract, there is not an individual plan for the district or district users.”

No teachers or Cherokee County school board members are issued a school district cell phone or Blackberry.

The school district does not have to pay any money for the cell phones issued to school administrators. The regular voice phones are provided for free under the district’s cell phone contract.

A special promotion allowed the district to provide a Blackberry device for all school principals and district employees. The district received an 80 percent federal E-rate discount, reducing the monthly cost from $74.99 to $15 per month for school administrators.

“The most recent addition of Blackberry devices was the GSA contract price with a buy one-get one free promotion,” Childs said. “After applying all discounts and considering the buy one-get one free discount, the net cost under the E-rate program was $19.66 per Blackberry.”

Last fall, Blacksburg High Principal Jim Touchberry used the Blackberry to track weather conditions when lightning strikes threatened to postpone the school’s football game against Woodruff. District maintenance director John Burchstead and James used their mobile phones to get reports on road conditions and school buildings before making a decision to close schools Monday.

“In addition, due to the district utilizing Verizon Wireless to provide this invaluable service to the district, and due to the district operating under the GSA contract, all district employees are eligible to receive a 21 percent discount on all services offered to Verizon Wireless,” Childs said.