By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Administrators at Pelham’s five schools plan to purchase everything from new classroom technology to projector bulbs after the Pelham City Council voted during its March 25 meeting to donate $133,000 to the schools.

During the meeting, the council approved donations to Valley Elementary, Valley Intermediate, Riverchase Middle and Pelham High schools and the Linda Nolen Learning Center. The donation amounts were based on requests from each school principal.

The city donated $28,000 to Valley Elementary to use to purchase 40 new computers, mice and desk chairs, and donated $28,000 to Valley Intermediate to purchase eight digital projectors, 12 iPads, 20 computers and “The Leader in Me” training materials.

Riverchase Middle received $25,000 to purchase computers, projectors, multimedia bulbs, technology and office supplies, items for academic teams, professional development items and student recognition materials.

The city donated $45,000 to Pelham High to purchase technology upgrades in the school’s eight new classrooms, technology supplies, library enhancement materials, grounds improvements and to help fund publication costs and activities not funded by the school board. PHS also will use a portion of the donation to help improve the school’s athletic facilities, which are used by PHS and RMS students.

The Linda Nolen Learning Center, a school serving Shelby County students with significant disabilities, received $7,000 to fund instructional support, technology upgrades and professional development.

As part of the resolution authorizing the donations, the administrators at each Pelham school must “provide a written letter of intent stating the city’s donation will be placed in a separate account at each school,” and must “provide the city of Pelham’s finance director a summary of the expenditures from the city’s donation.”

City Council President Rick Hayes said about $130,000 of the donations were already budgeted in the city’s administration account, and said the remaining $3,000 was covered by transfers from other line items.

Hayes said the donations will fund many items not currently funded by the Shelby County School System.

“Schools are the heart of our community. It’s important for us to help our schools and it’s important for us to do so in an efficient and effective manner,” Hayes said.