The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School board approved the purchase of more than 200 personal hotspots for elementary students on Sunday night, as online learning begins amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The brief board meeting was held entirely over teleconference and largely consisted of a closed session. But the board opened back up to vote on a measure to help students who need proper internet access for online classes. Board members unanimously approved the purchase of 225 new personal hotspots, which will be distributed to families of elementary schoolers lacking the proper hardware or internet access. The nearly $50,000 purchase means the school system now has approximately 500 devices it plans to distribute to elementary school families as students learn from home and social distance.
According to documents from the meeting, the school board reassessed its plans after Governor Cooper announced North Carolina schools would conduct exclusively online learning through May 15. CHCCS had previously extended its spring break and closed its schools on March 16 due to the spread of COVID-19.
The board had to vote on the purchase because the school system has already spent $50,000 with the vendor, a technology company called Kajeet, and the additional purchase would exceed $90,000 spent.
With the personal hotspots on backorder, CHCCS plans to begin distribution of devices in about two weeks from the Lincoln Center. In the document, it references a tentative plan to offer certain days where parents can drive up to the center to pick up the available Chromebooks and hotspots. For those families unable to pick up the resources, bus transportation is slated to deliver them.
At Monday’s meeting, the board also affirmed assistant superintendent Patrick Abele as the acting superintendent. The school system announced last week Dr. Pam Baldwin has been placed on medical leave.
Online learning for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools sytem began on Monday.
Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.
Note: 97.9 The Hill has been Chapel Hill and Orange County’s daily source for free local news since 1953. Please consider making a donation to continue supporting important local journalism like this.
Related Stories
‹
CHCCS District Still Has Contracts that Violate Policies; Consultants Suggest Changing Budget PracticesThe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education met on Thursday to discuss a recent financial review conducted in light of violations of district protocols. Held virtually, the meeting featured a presentation by consultants Dr. Don Martin and Kerry Crutchfield, who were recently hired by the district to review five-years worth of contracts and budgeting. […]
Baldwin Resigns as CHCCS Superintendent, Will Leave System in JuneDr. Pam Baldwin has resigned from her position as superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system. The CHCCS Board of Education said in a release it approved Baldwin’s resignation at its meeting Thursday night. Her resignation will be effective June 30. “The Board of Education thanks the Superintendent for her hard work and dedication […]
CHCCS Receives Grant To Promote Racial Equity WorkChapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools announced Monday the district received a grant to support work addressing the racial equity gap in school systems. The Trustees of Oak Foundation approved the request of $4.3 million over three years to the CHCCS system and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation for the Students First: Equity Through Opportunity grant. […]
CHCCS School Board Set for Safety Updates, SRO Program DiscussionChapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' Board of Education is set to discuss an expansive school safety report and its SRO program on Thursday.
CHCCS to Continue Remote Learning Model, Revisit in January 
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Elect New Chair, Vice-Chair for School BoardThe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education elected a new chair and vice-chair on Thursday. The board selected Dr. Jillian La Serna as its new chair and Deon Temne as vice-chair. The pair, who were both elected to the board in 2019, replace Mary-Ann Wolf and Dr. Amy Fowler in the respective positions after […]
CHCCS Sets Special Board Meeting for Superintendent HireThe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education is set to elect and announce the system's new superintendent next week.
CHCCS Financial Review Finds Several Contracts That Violate Board PolicyA financial review of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district spending and contract procedures found several violations or deviations from system policies occurred in the last five years. Ahead of a specially-called school board meeting to discuss the review, CHCCS provided the full examination on its website, which was contracted by its Board of Education on […]
Dr. Jim Causby to Serve as CHCCS Interim Superintendent Once MoreThe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system selected an interim superintendent at its virtual meeting Thursday night. The CHCCS school board announced its selection of Dr. Jim Causby, who will temporarily replace current superintendent Dr. Pam Baldwin as she leaves after more than three years with the system. This will be Causby’s second stint in the […]
CHCCS Purchases New Hotspots to Lend Elementary Students for Online LearningThe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School board approved the purchase of more than 200 personal hotspots for elementary students on Sunday night, as online learning begins amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The brief board meeting was held entirely over teleconference and largely consisted of a closed session. But the board opened back up to vote on […]
›
