CARES dollars will supply Gillett students with Chromebooks

The Gillett School Board has unanimously approved the purchase of Chromebook laptop computers for students, using money from a federal CARES Act grant.

During its Feb. 18 meeting, the board OK’d spending $50,280 for 180 Chromebooks at $248 each, as well as 210 software licenses at $24 each, plus tax.

A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet running the Google Chrome operating system and browser. Students and teachers use the devices for a variety of educational programs, including virtual class work as needed.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a $2.2 trillion bill passed last March in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Superintendent Todd Hencsik said there’s a great demand for the Chromebooks, and administrators believed the order for the devices needs to be submitted now in order for them to arrive before September.

“We jumped on that because there is a long lag time,” Hencsik said. “We figured if we want them by the first of next year, we should act now.”

Board member Preston Peterson agreed the request is timely.

“The lead times right now are nuts,” Peterson said. “We’re hoping that they’ll be in by the start of the school year.”