Sequim schools are getting a big technology boost as part of a federal aid package aimed at helping students to not fall behind during the COVID pandemic.
The Sequim School District will receive $120,800 from the latest round of the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, announced by legislators in late January.
Sequim’s funds will be used for the purchase of laptop computers that are “current-gen, touch-screen, durable, and aligned with our most up-to-date student devices that are part of our 1:1 initiative at the high school and middle school,” according to Beau Young, IT Director with the Sequim School District.
“These new devices will help us expand into the lower grade levels and our alternative programs, replacing many aging devices that have lesser performance, shorter battery lives and less durability,” he said.
”This kind of access will help the schools break free of some of the existing limitations due to insufficient devices being available for students to check out and take home.”
The technology upgrade will also reduce the district’s financial burden, Young said, “so that our schools are better able to leverage what funding we already have to provide the support the students need to best utilize the devices in and out of the classroom.”
Sequim received the seventh-largest portion in the most recent round of the ECF funding; the Everett School District received more than $3.5 million and Seattle schools nearly $1.9 million.
Nationwide, ECF funding was more than $240 million in the latest round, bringing the total program funding to $4.4 billion. Funding will help cover the cost of certain eligible equipment and services for use by students, teachers, and library patrons who lack access to broadband or devices like laptops, tablets and computers during the pandemic.
In May 2020, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Emergency Educational Connections Act to ensure all K-12 students have adequate home internet connectivity and devices. In September 2021, Cantwell announced $28.8 million was allocated to Washington state schools and libraries in the first round of ECF funding.
