BUTLER TWP — The Butler County Community College board of trustees on Wednesday agreed to apply for two state loans totaling $1.5 million for computer upgrades.

Board members unanimously voted to apply for both loans from the State Public School Building Authority's revolving loan fund.

One loan, for $1.4-million, would cover half the cost of replacing some of 175 computer servers used on the main campus for academic and administrative purposes. The college would pay the other half of the cost.

The enrollment and financial aid departments use 40 servers, said James Hrabosky, vice president of administration and finance.

He didn't know the number of servers being replaced, but servers are being evaluated to determine if some can be eliminated.

Servers cost between $6,000 and $9,000 each, and last five or six years, he said.

“We're able to keep up with technology,” Hrabosky told the board.

The second loan is for $105,000 to buy new computer equipment for the school's branch campuses, he said.

The interest rate on both loans is 2.75 percent fixed. The $1.4 million loan has to be repaid in five years and the $105,000 loan has to be repaid in three years.

In addition, the trustees approved a $24,820 contract with Campus Works Inc. of Bradenton, Fla., for a security assessment of the school's Internet technology.

Any additional work requested by BC3 will cost $170 an hour and was capped at $10,000.