WASHINGTON, D.C. - Phil Roe, M.D., member of Congress (TN-1) announced that the Cocke County Board of Education will receive $154,119 for video-conferencing equipment to link 12 rural schools with the High School and Workforce Development Center in Johnson City.

This funding is provided through the USDA Rural Development program under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant.

"I am pleased that the Cocke County Board of Education will receive this important funding," said Roe.  "As a Member of the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, I am committed to obtaining funds for the First District of Tennessee that will improve our agriculture community and offer improved education opportunities.  This grant offers incredible tools for distance learning in rural schools throughout Cocke, Carter and Johnson Counties."

 Rural Development funds will be used for video-conferencing to link 12 rural schools with the High School and Workforce Development Center in Johnson City.  This project will allow them to share resources so as to meet the Tennessee Graduation requirements, as well as offer workforce development.

Congressman Roe is a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture.  This directly oversees USDA Rural Development.

"This grant brings the total amount of such monies Cocke County has received this year to about $700,000," said Cocke County Director of Schools Manney Moore. "This will allow us to share classes with other systems. For example, our students might have access to a foreign language class taught in Carter County, while their students have access to a class we are teaching."

"Our students will also be able to take virtual field trips. The grant will allow us to expand what we offer our kids."

According to Cocke County Schools Technology Coordinator Donnie Frazier, labs for this program will be placed in four Cocke County elementary schools-Grassy Fork, Smoky Mountain, Bridgeport, and Del Rio-and both county high schools. "Hopefully these labs will be in place during this year," Moore said.

Frazier expressed appreciation to the Niswonger Foundation, which help the county with needed local matching funds.