ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Students in Pinellas County Schools will have new laptops to take home as part of the Pinellas County Schools Connects Initiative.
Pinellas County School Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the use of money provided through the CARES Act to purchase 42,000 Dell laptops for students. Board members listened to a four-hour presentation last week which included plans to ensure every child in the district would have a device by 2023.
Students in grades fourth through ninth will get them first. After this initial purchase, the district will continue adding additional devices each year until children in each grade level have one. The subsequent funding will come from refresh funds as part of the annual budget.
Board members also approved additional licenses for the online learning management platform Canvas, which is already used for Pinellas Virtual School. The additional licenses will allow a core curriculum shift where kids can go back and watch lessons to re-learn key subjects and allow parents to see how to be engaged in their child’s learning.
