Mitchell County School System turns school bus into mobile classroom

CAMILLA — Aside from the generator mounted on its front bumper, Mitchell County School bus 03-10 looks like any other — that is, until you climb on board.

What you’ll find inside is a mobile class room complete with a Promethean Board, an overhead projector, 24 laptop computers and 4G wireless connectivity.

If it sounds different, it is. Over the past few years, the Mitchell County School System has specialized in out-of-the-box thinking. This mobile learning center is another example of that innovation in education.

“A lot of our students live way out in the boonies, and many have a hard time just getting someone to pick them up if they stay late after school,” Mitchell County High Principal Robert Adams said. “We’ve been taking the bus out in the community over the past couple of weeks.

“Our first attempt is just to make parents aware of the bus and what it has to offer. We also haul a concession wagon with it and serve drinks and hot dogs. So far we’ve had more than 321 parents sign in.”

The district assigns different teachers to the bus, which makes three one-hour stops stops per night.

Adams said system officials are working on a schedule to be implemented the first week in January in which math, science and English teachers will be worked into a rotation.

“Our plan is to be on-site by 5 p.m. and have the teachers back by 8 p.m.,” Adams said. “The idea is that brick-and-mortar schools just don’t always have what it takes.

“We are trying to give our students their best chance at being successful, and we have to take it to the next level or we aren’t doing our jobs. There are no excuses. If a student wants to succeed, he or she can.”

About that time, Pamela Butts, the mother of three children in the school system, climbed aboard the bus.

“I’d heard about this bus and I wanted to see what was going on,” Butts said. I think this is an awesome idea. I live in a rural area and a lot of people don’t have high-speed access to the internet. This is will be good for our children and for us to get on the net at high speed.”

Adams said the parents are welcome.

“The parents can get on line and buy stuff or just surf the web,” he said. “We don’t care as long as a student is on the bus learning.”

Mitchell County School Superintendent Vic Hill agreed.

“We have to get out into the community,” Hill said. “We are fortunate to have a man like Robert Adams and a supportive School Board. To make this work we have to think outside of the box. We have to reach out to the parents and work with the community. This job takes more than just one person … it’s a total team effort.”

And it’s working in Mitchell County.

The four-school system of 2,400 students has seen a steady rise in its graduation rate and assessment scores. Nearly 40 students at the 400-plus High school are dually enrolled at Southwest Georgia Technical College or Albany State University. The school also just had its first student earn his certified pilot’s license through a special school program.

“Basically we are trying to change the culture of education in Mitchell County, and so far it seems to be working fairly well,” Hill said.