With Prince George’s County schools closed until at least April 24, K-12 students have been forced into distance learning, but not every family is able to do that.
To address that, the school system has allocated $2 million to give out laptops and arrange internet service to families in need starting this week.
Prince George’s County Public Schools will distribute Chromebooks beginning today through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students and their parents should go to their boundary school parking lot during this time with a parent’s ID, a student’s report card and a pen while making sure to practice safe social distancing.
Chromebooks, which run on Google’s operating system, typically cost around $200 to $300. Parents can also use Google’s Family Link service to oversee their children’s usage, blocking specific applications or websites and requiring permission to download apps.
“This shift to online learning is a necessity for the safety of our community and will continue to ensure students have access to high-quality education,” Prince George’s schools CEO Monica Goldson said in a statement.
The system will also turn on wifi access points at some schools to allow students and staff to connect from the parking lot, starting April 14.
