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1,100 new laptops for junior high students expected next month
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Posted on Aug 28 2011
Public School System federal programs officer Tim Thornburgh disclosed last week that 1,100 brand new laptops are expected to arrive on island on Sept. 23 to be distributed to all seventh graders in public and private schools.
PSS earlier projected to accommodate over 800 seventh graders in public schools this school year. Thornburgh said the expected new technologies will also be shared with private junior middle school students.
Under PSS’ One-Laptop-Per-Child project initiated last school year, high school students were permitted to own the technology while seventh to 11th graders will receive their units in their next level.
Saipan Tribune learned that PSS utilized some funding from the consolidated grant to accommodate the new laptops for seventh graders.
Over 6,000 brand new laptops were already procured and distributed by PSS last school year using the state fiscal stabilization fund. The intent is to aid students in their learning and advancement.
PSS was awarded $32.2 million in SFSF for the renovation, modernization, and repairs of the school campuses. A portion of this funding was also utilized in paying for the salary of highly qualified teachers and paying for the utilities of public schools.
On Thursday, Thornburgh also reported that PSS has been consistently monitoring the spending of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money which will expire next month.
He said there were 12 contractors working on 40 projects of the school system all throughout the CNMI, all of which are in the final stages of completion.
