MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Schools will begin distributing digital devices to all its students beginning the week of Monday, Aug. 3, as the district gears up to open in a fully virtual format Aug. 31.
Each student will receive a digital device and have the opportunity for an internet hotspot based on need.
The distribution schedule is broken down by grade level. You can check the complete schedule here.
Parents must have a photo ID at the time of pickup. Families with students at multiple schools may submit a request online from Aug. 3-14 to pick up devices for all students at one time.
What kind of devices will be distributed:
• Grades PK-2: New Microsoft Go Tablets, rugged cases, screen protectors
• Grades 3-8: New Microsoft Go Tablet with Keyboard, rugged cases
• Grades 9-12: New HP ProBook Laptop, carrying cases
• Eligible students will receive Internet connectivity through MiFi hotspots
Families with multiple children at one unique address within our system will share a hotspot. One hotspot can service up to five devices in a home.
Beginning Monday, parents can call the Parent Welcome Center at (9010 416-5300 and select the “Help with your Computer or Hotspot” option to receive technical support. The support line will be available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
SCS Superintendent Joris Ray said the district began planning to distribute digital devices to more than 95,000 students last year, calling access to the devices a “game changer.”
In July, as cases of COVID-19 continued to climb in Shelby County, the District announced its S.A.F.E. Re-Entry Plan to return to school, which included an expedited timeline to put digital devices in the hands of all SCS students for the 2020-21 school year.
“I am overjoyed to know that every student will have technology at their fingertips to ensure continuous learning amid this public health crisis,” school board chair Miska Clay Bibbs said.
