Williamson County Commission approves second round of funding for student laptops

Additional laptops for students in Williamson County Schools are now on order after the Williamson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved on Monday $5.8 million to help the district reach its goal of one-to-one technology.

The district fast-tracked its longtime goal when COVID-19 forced the district to turn to technology for more instructional activities.

The funds will allow the district to enter into a four-year lease with an annual payment of $1.4 million. The purchase will replace failing laptops riddled with technological issues the district planned to retire.

The funding comes from reallocated WCS capital project funds, WCS Superintendent Jason Golden said.

In June, the district purchased approximately18,500 laptops, costing almost the same amount. 

More:Williamson education committee approves more laptops, talks new COVID-19 director

Approximately 39,400 students are enrolled in WCS.

In a separate resolution, the county commission also voted in favor of dedicating $1.5 million of the county's CARES Act funds to help purchase 4,065 laptops for the school district. 

In past community conversations, Golden has stated that families' lack of technology in the district doesn't concern him as much as the number of families who do not have reliable internet connections. 

According to a WCS survey last spring, 2% of students do not have access to the internet, while 9% have unreliable access.

Area schools are providing learning space for students enrolled in the online learning program who cannot access internet service at home.

Kerri Bartlett covers issues affecting children, families, education and government in Williamson County. She can be contacted at kbartlett@gannett.com, 615-308-8324 or  follow @keb1414 on Twitter.