From Westerville Schools, 1808Delaware
The Westerville City School District has received a $1.7 million grant through the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund to expand students’ access to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the grant, the district will be able to purchase 4,000 Chromebooks and 300 Wi-Fi hotspots.
The FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund, which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, is a $7.17 billion program that provides tools that can assist schools and libraries offer remote learning during the emergency period. It can provide laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots and broadband connectivity for students, school staff and library patrons who lack broadband access.
Chrombooks run on the Linux-based Chrome operating system. As of 2018, 60% of all school computer purchases nationwide were chromebooks.