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The Fort Dodge Community School District will be using $300,000 in CARES Act funding to purchase 1,050 Chromebooks for students to use this fall.
The board of education approved the purchase at its meeting on Thursday.
In order to use the CARES money, the devices need to be in the district’s possession by July 1, 2021, district information technology supervisor Jeremy Pearson explained. Because of stocking issues with the devices, Pearson said it would be best to place the order now to ensure the district will have the Chromebooks by the deadline.
The district is purchasing 700 Chromebooks to replace the ones used by students in grades 7 and 10, at a cost of $348.55 each, which includes the Google Management license. An additional 350 Chromebooks, a more basic model, will be purchased for third-graders at a cost of $226.92.