CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education approved two significant expenditures for next school year.

The Board voted 5-0 to enter into a contract with AT&T Mobility for Wi-Fi on buses. The equipment and services from AT&T amount to $460,813.63.

KCS Transportation Director Jason Redman said the Wi-Fi will be on every bus.

“We’ll be upgrading all of our buses to new 5G equipment,” Redman told board members Thursday.

It’s the first year that bus Wi-Fi is covered under the federal E-Rate program. E-Rate funding is federal funding used for schools and libraries. E-Rate will cover 90% of the funding, meaning the county will owe just over $46,000 for the Wi-Fi.

The Board also unanimously approved a contract for PBIS School Signage in the amount of $199,960 to Mascot Junction, Inc. Every elementary school in Kanawha County will receive signage that outlines behavior expectations.

“Every elementary school is outlining the behavior expectations in their building for each individual area,” Assistant Superintendent of Schools Amanda Mays said.

The signage incorporates the school’s mascot in a kid-friendly manner to teach the expected behavior. Board members are expected to receive an example of the signage sometime between now and the Fall.