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Volusia County keeping students connected with laptops
Volusia County has set a goal to make sure that every student in the public school system has a laptop. They plan to distribute them to 33,000 kids.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Volusia County students have started receiving take-home laptops as part of the district’s plan to become a 1-to-1 district.
High-schoolers started getting them this week, and middle schools will get them next as they roll them out over the month.
In the summer, Volusia County Schools says elementary school students will have access to a laptop or iPad for use in school.
"So when the students start school in August, every Volusia County school student will have access to a device that they’ll be able to use," said Cindi Lane, with the district.
Though technology has been a big goal for years, the district said being able to get the program off the ground now is a welcome coincidence as remote learning takes center stage.
Parent Jennifer Waldo agrees.
"It’s 2021 and we just need to adapt to the changes and just be prepared for whatever happens," she said.
Waldo said her seventh-grade daughter is excited to have her own laptop.
"It’s one less thing she had to worry about if she has to quarantine or stay home. If she’s not feeling well, she’ll have that opportunity to stay connected with her class and her teachers," she said.
Lane said the new program was funded through a half-cent sales tax approved by voters and federal CARES Act money.