Maries R-2 Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham said Jan. 26 that two sets of backordered Chromebooks, one ordered in September 2020 with a $50,000 donation from Party Trust, and a second round ordered …
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Maries R-2 Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham said Jan. 26 that two sets of backordered Chromebooks, one ordered in September 2020 with a $50,000 donation from Party Trust, and a second round ordered in October 2020 from CARES Act funds, began arriving the second week of January.
“Because of the high demand by every school district in the nation, Chromebooks were on backorder for months,” Basham said. “Mr. Benson has been working since then to get the Chromebooks registered and ready for student use.”
During the meeting, she added that the new Chromebook additions will allow students at the high and middle schools to have one device assigned per student.
“The elementary was one to one prior to the start of the school year (with some exceptions),” Basham said.
The district’s goal is for every student to be able to check out a Chromebook if they need to work from home.
Board Director Tom Kinsey asked Basham how they keep track of the numbers and which devices go home with which student. Basham said they do keep track of the Chromebooks by number, and if they have enough devices to assign one to every student for the year, then it eliminates the question of which Chromebook went home with who.
Basham added that the board should expect to receive a copy
Board President Joey Butler II asked Basham if the four-day school districts would be exempt from the late start requirement this year.
“Not this year,” Basham said.
Districts will be required to start after Aug. 24 to help encourage an extra week of tourism in Missouri.
Basham updated the board on their order from Big Ass Fans Company. They were able to use CARES Act funding to purchase and install large industrial fans in the gyms and cafeteria to help circulate the air in hopes of adding an additional COVID-19 related precaution.
“The fans are in, and the controls will be locked up so students can’t turn them on and off,” Basham said.
The cafeteria fan hangs lower than they expected.
“We have put in a request that they come back and take out the extension so the fan does not hang so low,” Basham said.
