In Prince William County, online learning — spurred by the coronavirus pandemic — has been a difficult adjustment and school leaders in that Virginia county are now trying to make sure students don’t fall behind. The school board hopes to secure $10 million to buy 27,000 computers to ensure students have access to online instruction and stay on track for graduation. In a letter sent to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors Sunday, school board Chairman Babur Lateef, asked for $5 million in emergency funding which would be matched by the board if approves.
Read the School Board’s letter to Chairwoman @AnninPWC and her colleagues on the BOCS. With #COVIDー19, we are facing something unprecedented, it’s on us to deliver innovative & creative solutions. pic.twitter.com/bKLUKkvuXw
— Babur Lateef (@PWCSChairman) March 30, 2020
With the purchase likely to take several weeks to fulfill, Lateef stressed the struggle the district faces with making online learning possible and the uncertainty of when students will return to school. “If we sustain another closure and we do not have the ability to deliver online learning, our students will be at an even greater disadvantage,” Lateef said.
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The letter also states the district already has a “Technology Improvement Plan” in place and the board had planned to provide each student with a device over the next four years, but the recent closures due to coronavirus have sped up their efforts. The school board voted in favor of the request and the county supervisors are expected to discuss the proposal on Tuesday.