Pass Area School Districts Receiving Part Of $10M Allotment

Toni McAllister
Updated ·3 min read

SAN GORGONIO PASS AREA, CA — Nineteen school districts, including the Banning and Beaumont unified school districts, are set to receive $10 million of federal CARES Act funds allocated by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to Riverside County Office of Education Foundation’s “All For One” campaign, it was announced Friday.

The money will be used to order additional laptops and mobile hotspot devices to support distance learning for Riverside County students.

First announced in August, the “All For One” campaign will provide funds directly to the districts to address students’ needs related to distance learning, said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Judy D. White.

“As schools and districts prepare to offer hybrid and in-person learning over the coming months, elements of distance learning will remain a necessity in socially-distanced classrooms, for completing homework, and to ensure continuity of education if COVID-19 or other emergencies force school closures,” White said.

“We have made it a priority to fight against the digital divide, which is a very real issue in our geographically immense county, particularly in our rural and remote communities,” said Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “This funding will make sure that students receive the laptops and Wi-Fi connectivity they need to do their school work, which will contribute to the success of our youth and enhance the quality of education.”

The total number of tablets/laptops and mobile hotspots being ordered is:

 Laptops/Tablets To Be Ordered: 22,865
 Mobile Hotspots To Be Ordered: 13,315

The following shows each district's allotment (the numbers are estimates based on $350 for a laptop/device and $150 for a hot spot):

 Alvord USD – 2,000 laptops/tablets, 200 mobile hotspots
 Banning USD – 700 mobile hotspots
 Beaumont USD – 2,000 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots
 Coachella Valley USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots
 Corona-Norco USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 1,000 mobile hotspots
 Desert Center USD – 15 laptops/tablets, 15 mobile hotspots
 Desert Sands USD – 100 mobile hotspots
 Hemet USD – 500 laptops/tablets, 500 mobile hotspots
 Jurupa USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 1,500 mobile hotspots
 Lake Elsinore USD – 1,000 laptops/tablets, 2,500 mobile hotspots
 Menifee Union SD – 500 laptops/tablets, 100 mobile hotspots
 Moreno Valley USD – 2,200 laptops/tablets
 Murrieta Valley USD – 2,500 laptops/tablets, 50 mobile hotspots
 Palo Verde USD – 250 laptops/tablets, 250 mobile hotspots
 Perris Elementary SD – 800 laptops/tablets
 Perris Union HSD – 750 mobile hotspots
 Riverside USD – 2,200 laptops/tablets
 San Jacinto USD – 400 laptops/tablets, 400 mobile hotspots
 Temecula Valley USD – 1,000 laptops/tablets, 250 mobile hotspots

“After connecting with each school district to identify outstanding needs above and beyond their initial investment in devices, the funding we receive from the Board of Supervisors will be available immediately for districts to order laptops, tablets, or hotspot devices,” said Riverside County Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “The allocation plan addresses needs within each supervisorial district in Riverside County, and we will continue working with district and charter school leaders to equitably address developing technological challenges faced by all students.”

This article originally appeared on the Banning-Beaumont Patch