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PHOTO COURTESY OF SILSBEE ISD
SILSBEE ISD AWARDED $1.12M TO PURCHASE 2,800 NEW CHROMEBOOKS August 12, 2022 – Upgrades and new Chromebooks are on the horizon for Silsbee ISD. The district was awarded $1,120,000 from the Emergency Connectivity Fund to purchase new Chromebooks for the district.
After researching funding options to replace aging Chromebooks, Director of Technology, Lester Perrin, came across the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), which is funding included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The 3rd round of ECF funding included $7.1 billion distributed through the ERate Program.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the ECF is a $7.171 billion program that helps provide relief to millions of students, school staff, and library patrons and will help close the Homework Gap for students who currently lack necessary Internet access or the devices they need to connect to classrooms.
The ECF round 3 provided $400 per student to purchase Chromebooks to help close the homework gap and to help with online testing requirements.
The application for funding opened on April 28, 2022 and was on a first come, first serve basis.
Perrin applied the day applications opened and the district was awarded on August 10, 2022.
“Providing the latest technology to our students by leveraging programs such as ERate and ECF is just another way SISD strives to deliver the best for the best,” said Lester Perrin,” SISD Director of Technology.
Each new Chromebook costs $400 and the district will receive 2,800. This is enough Chromebooks to cover all SISD students.
Here is a breakdown of what all is included: HP Chromebook X360 touch 8/64GB, Convertible units, 2800 UZBL snap on cases, 2800 Google Licenses, Enrollment, Inventory services “Obtaining funding to aid Silsbee ISD students in closing the homework gap has been a monumental achievement for SISD,” said Perrin.
A date has not been set for exactly when the Chromebooks will be in the hands of students, but the district is hoping the answer is soon.
Congress authorized the Emergency Connectivity Fund as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, according to the FCC. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief package.
Silsbee ISD will provide chromebooks to their students to help them close the achievement gap.