FLORENCE, Wis. — The Florence County Board of Education has approved spending $7,880 in Common School Funds to replace 20 iPads.

The iPads will purchased from Apple Inc. because they offer the best price with the education discount, said Monica Chartier, the district’s director of technology.

The iPads will be placed in the library for student use but also will be used by 4-year-old kindergarten students when needed. The district in 2020 eliminated maintaining separate one-to-one devices for 4K.

In other business, the board:

— Learned the district is up four students from its September third Friday count. Enrollment is at 381, with total membership up from 465 students to 473 students, Superintendent Ben Niehaus said.

— Learned the district received $500 from CCI Systems of Iron Mountain for matching funds toward the district’s Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Fab Lab Grant for the elementary school. The grant seeks $7,689 for a makerspace, or a collaborative work space inside a school, to include a second 3-D printer and its own laser engraver. At last month’s meeting Niehaus shared that Red Oak Foundation had donated $3,500 in matching funds and Kurt and Ramona Person donated $345.

— Learned the district also received $822 for its “Kids in Need” fund from Boss Snowplow through the Dickinson Area Community Foundation.

— Learned 30 staff members have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

— Approved the school calendar with the first day of school for students on Sept. 1 and final day for students on June 3. The district is 41 hours above the number of instruction hours required by the state.

— Is considering allowing students to utilize the weight room after school. They also hope to allow the youth softball league to hold training for pitchers and catchers in the gym using social distancing sometime in the next few months.

Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.