Melrose Connects On Laptop, Hotspot Purchases For Students

MELROSE, MA — With nearly all students readying to start the school year at home and possibly thousands continuing beyond that, Melrose Public Schools is awaiting hundreds of laptops and additional hotspots.

The district has purchased 622 Chromebooks and 10 hotspots to assist in remote learning and boost internet connectivity in and out of the classroom. A state grant covered $156,840 — well shy of the $449,400 requested — but still more than expected, according to city IT Director Neal Ellis.

"From the perspective of internet connectivity and speed, we want to provide students and teachers with everything they need to be successful with remote learning whether in the classroom or at home," Ellis told Patch. "That means providing internet hotspots to students and teachers who do not have internet at home as well as upgrading existing internet bandwidth in the schools."

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education also stepped in to expedite the delivery of the Chromebooks. While the mid-October delivery date could be when many students are back in school, it's still six months earlier than what had been expected, due to a nationwide rush on Chromebooks.

Chromebooks figure to play heavily into how school plays out over the foreseeable future. There is a device for each student in the district, but Ellis said roughly 1,100 Chromebooks will soon need to be replaced.

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