COPPERAS COVE, TX — Copperas Cove ISD has received a $100,000 from the Texas Education Agency to help bridge the technology gap.
The Technology Lending Program was created by the TEA to help public school districts in loaning students the equipment needed for remote learning.
“The focus of the program is to ensure equitable access to quality digital resources, especially for economically disadvantaged students,” Kim Blalock, CCISD Federal Funding Coordinator/Special Projects said.
CCISD was one of 144 school districts in Texas to receive the grant. The district then mailed a technology survey to all families to assess their technology needs.
“We will be using the results of the survey to determine which families will qualify to check-out a student laptop and/or a mobile hotspot,” Blalock said. “The hotspots will contain content filtering that will limit access to inappropriate websites.”
The district purchased 110 hotspots through T-Mobile with two-year contracts and unlimited data, along with 180 HP Stream laptops and protective cases.
CCISD said it will reach out to the qualifying families closer to the beginning of school.
CCISD Director of Technology Earl Parcell said one of the stipulations included with the grant is that students on the free/reduced meal program be given priority.
“The (check-out) process will include the student and parent making a request at the student’s home campus. The campus will secure the resources and make arrangements to issue them to the student and parent,” Parcell said.
More than 700 devices were issued to families when schools immediately closed following Spring Break.
