CEC donates computers to schools

Central Electric Cooperative has donated more than 50 computers to the Sisters School District over the years. About two weeks ago, the district received “a whole shipment” of uninterruptible power supplies.

“Some will go into our workstations and some into battery packs for our mobile video systems,” said Jon Renner of the Sisters School District.

Renner, a Social Studies and Technology teacher, also heads OutlawNet, the student-oriented business providing Internet and computer services in Sisters, and is the local director of the Students Recycling Used Technology (STRUT) program.

Students from OutlawNet refurbish machines that need it.

Renner said donations from Central Electric have brought technology to the school that otherwise would not be available. Computers sit in workstations outside classrooms, and in the media center.

Strut machines are in classrooms as well…including both Educational Resource Center (ERC) rooms in the high school, science, and art rooms. They are also the machines that, after OutlawNet refurbishes them, are loaned to students.

The most recent of these, a fairly new P4, has gone to a student who is continuing his CADD training at home.

CEC has been donating to Sisters schools through the STRUT program for two years, Renner said, a contribution of more than $35,000 if the district had been able to purchase the equipment new. Printers and network equipment have been included. The machines are mostly from the manufacturer Compaq and run Windows and Linux.