Students returning to Ironton High School next month will find a new computer study lab and some equipment in the health technology preparation program, all compliments of local benefactors.

The Ironton Social Security Office has donated 15 Compac computers, a Dell computer system server and an uninterruptible power source to the high school.

“We had gotten some updated equipment at the end of May. The computers we had in service were three or four years old and after a period of time you have to start replacing hard drives and so forth so we have to constantly update,” Betty Backus, Ironton Social Security Office manager said.

The gift was appreciated, school officials said.

“The computers themselves are much better than some of the older models still being used,” said Ironton City Schools Technology Coordinator Joel Utsinger. “They will be used to create a new computer lab for the high school. Right now we only have one computer lab for four grades.”

Utsinger said the new lab should be ready to use by the start of the new school year.

Also, Heartland of Riverview Nursing Home in South Point donated three new hospital beds to the health tech program that is located at the city high school and operated in conjunction with Collins Career Center.

“We updated our beds,” Heartland Administrator Mark Stewart explained. “These beds we gave away were still in good condition and still useable. We have a relationship with the career center. We do clinicals here for their nursing students and CNA’s, so we let them know we had the beds available.”

The health tech prep program was begun three years ago and allows students at both Ironton and Dawson-Bryant high schools to get an early start on studies leading to a career in health sciences, such as nursing, phlebotomy (blood collection) and pharmacy technology.