MSHA Donates Excess Equipment to Mining Area Schools

Several areas of West Virginia have been the recipients of excess computer equipment from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Over the past two years, MSHA has donated computer equipment to a number of vocational schools in Fayette and Raleigh Counties, including the Academy of Careers and Technology in Beckley, W.Va.

The most recent donation of thirty "286" computers came from MSHA's Norton, Va., coal district office, and were distributed to the Fayette County Board of Education.

"These computers have found an excellent afterlife in schools that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them," said J. Davitt McAteer, assistant labor secretary for mine safety and health. "Damaged inventory ends up in electronics classes, where students learn computer repair. Once the computers are fixed, they have usable machines."

Nancy Keffer, director of federal programs, testing and technology for the Fayette County Board of Education, said, "If we'd had to purchase these computers ourselves, it would have cost us thousands of dollars. These generous gifts are compatible with software we already have, and will be used in alternative programs at both middle and high schools to teach kids math, reading and basic keyboarding skills."

Computer donations take place under the authority of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 and Executive Order 12821, which authorizes the distribution of federally owned property to tax-exempt, non-profit public and private educational institutions from kindergarten through high school, as well as government-sponsored research organizations.

Eighteen "486" computers are slated for delivery to West Virginia State University in Institute, W.Va., in the near future. The donation will take place through a program sponsored by Historical Black Colleges and Universities.