Department of Education receives $8 million to help with virtual learning

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley

The Louisiana Department of Education plans to use $8 million that the legislature has awarded to the department to purchase new computers for students. State Superintendent Cade Brumley explains how the funding originated.

“The legislature reallocated some of the CARES Act dollars from the Federal government, pushing that $8 million to us so that we can supply systems with additional Chromebooks for the spring semester,” said Brumley.

Brumley says the department just received news of the funding and they are working on a plan to purchase and distribute 23,000 Chromebooks to school systems in need across the state.

“Not every system has enough devices for every individual child and in fact, some systems have old equipment, so this equipment will be able to replace some of that outdated equipment that’s being utilized in the field,” said Brumley.

Brumley said students and educators have had to make incredible pivots throughout the pandemic and while virtual learning has certainly come a long way since March, they still have several hurdles to overcome.

“And part of that is the device issue and so this will help us resolve many more of those issues as we look to the spring so our kids can get the education that they need and deserve,” said Brumley.

The Chromebooks will include touchscreen technology which makes them more accessible for a wider range of students and allows for easier use for younger students.