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Hancock County demonstrates $6,000 virtual workstations for CTE; district cites sole-source procurement and SWIFT funding
Summary
Board members saw a demonstration of new career-technology "virtual" workstations costing $6,000 each. Staff said the systems will be used across health science, law/public safety, automotive and (potentially) welding training and were bought under a sole-source procurement using SWIFT funds.
At the April 14 Hancock County School District meeting, district staff demonstrated a classroom—omputer system described as a 3D/virtual workstation for career and technical education that the presenter said costs about $6,000 per unit and requires separately purchased programs for each subject.
The presenter, identified in the transcript as "Mister Peters," showed how the system can be used for health sciences (including virtual dissection and interactive anatomy simulations), law/public-safety scenario training, automotive engine and transmission work, and a welding simulator attachment. Peters said the welding attachment was too expensive to purchase this year but that the district hopes to buy six welding simulator attachments next year.
The presenter said the district purchased the workstations using SWIFT funds, which the presenter described as money the district receives tied to students earning national certifications. He also said the vendor required a sole-source procurement and that the district obtained a sole-source letter to proceed.
"They're the sole source," Mister Peters said during the demonstration, referring to the vendor that produces this particular workstation. He described hands-on uses: "you can dissect the heart" and "it tells you if your weld is a good weld and it tells you if your weld is bad weld, you have to start over."
Staff said the district currently must share the units across programs and keeps them on a mobile cart so multiple classrooms can access the machines. The presenter said the district purchased program modules for health sciences and law/public safety this year; other modules, such as welding, remain as planned future purchases.
Why it matters: The systems are intended to expand hands-on training opportunities for CTE students across multiple career pathways and to leverage certification-related funds for instructional technology.
Procurement note: Staff described obtaining a sole-source letter because no other vendor offered the same product; the transcript shows the district proceeded under that procurement justification. No formal contract award or purchase order number was provided in the meeting transcript.
Next steps: Staff said they will continue to deploy and rotate the machines across CTE programs and pursue additional program modules as funds allow. The board did not record a formal vote on further purchases during the portion of the meeting captured in the transcript.
