DECATUR-Governor Robert Bentley announced a $100,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant to purchase new computer equipment for the Decatur city school system.
The grant will help the school system purchase laptop computers for ninth grade students at Austin and Decatur high schools, expanding a current program for fifth through eighth graders.
“Computer experience has become essential for success at school and in the workplace,” Bentley said. “This equipment will help Austin and Decatur high school students gain valuable knowledge and experience that will serve them well, now and in the future.”
The program is aimed at improving student performance and reducing the 
dropout rate. School officials said that providing the computers will keep students more engaged in their learning. The school system is contributing $341,000 in matching funds.
Congress established the ARC in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in the Appalachian mountain region, which includes Etowah and 36 other Alabama counties.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama along with a wide range of other programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
MEDIA RELEASE/OFFICE OF ALABAMA GOVERNOR ROBERT BENTLEY
