(TNS) — Box after box of laptops and chargers — nearly 1,000 in total — were rolled off of a delivery truck and into
Tupelo Public School District's offices in Mississippi at
Church Street Elementary School on Monday afternoon.
Those Chromebooks will be sorted and distributed to elementary schools across the district by
Dec. 1.
The 967 Chromebooks cost a total of $418,099, which comes out to about $432 per laptop.
The district has also ordered 800 MacBooks totaling $824,000. They are expected to be delivered over the next two weeks.
TPSD is already one-to-one with laptops, meaning that each student already has a device to use for schoolwork. The new laptops and chargers will replace old devices.
The purchase is part of a much larger order placed by the
Mississippi Department of Education on behalf of all schools in the state. The department purchased a total of nearly 390,000 devices for schools statewide through the Mississippi Connects program, which are set to be delivered from mid-October through November.
The Mississippi Legislature allocated $200 million earlier this year to purchase devices through two laws: the Equity in Distance Learning Act (SB 3044) and the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Act (HB 1788). The state's goal is for every student to receive the technology needed to learn both at school and at home.
TPSD Superintendent Dr. Rob Picou said technology that allows students to do their schoolwork both in the classroom and at home is invaluable, especially during the current pandemic.
"We are very appreciative of our partners in the legislature and the
Mississippi Department of Education for their commitment to equity," Picou said. "If we want students to be prepared for a 21st Century workplace, it is imperative that we provide the tools necessary for success. During this pandemic,
Mississippi needs to lean forward."
(c)2020 the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, Miss.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
