The Greene County School District has been designated as one of the entities to receive statewide funding to expand its computer science program.

Greene County joins 49 other Iowa school districts and schools as part of a new $1 million fund to build a computer science teacher workforce. The fund goes along with Governor Kim Reynolds’ Future Ready Iowa Initiative, with a goal to prepare more Iowans for high-demanding jobs that are rewarding, and get employers the skilled workforce they need.

It is a voluntary statewide computer science standard with incentive funds for the new computer science professional development. The program was established as part of the 2017 bill that Reynolds signed to encourage high-quality computer science instruction in every elementary, middle and high school education. Schools will use the funds to pay for professional learning or university coursework for teaching endorsements in computer science.

The Legislature set aside $500,000 for the incentive fund and the match came from a 2007 settlement from a class-action anti-trust lawsuit that was filed against Microsoft Corporation. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Iowans who had bought the company’s programs at allegedly inflated prices, and the settlement included setting aside a portion of unclaimed money for technology in Iowa schools