MALDEN — Malden public schools will enter a new academic year with a $1 million investment in 2,000 Google Chromebooks for students and improved internet connectivity.
Earlier this summer, city officials worked with school administrators and the School Committee to buy new Google Chromebook laptop computers for use by students at Malden High School and other grade levels when it became apparent that computer access upgrades were needed.
On Monday, school officials announced another major development about federal funding to pay for upgrades and replacements of computer infrastructure in all of Malden’s public schools, including the high school, five elementary and middle schools and the Early Learning Center.
All told, between municipal spending for the new personal Chromebooks and the federal funding for both over upgrades and a second program for improved internet connectivity, more than $1 million is being committed toward internet access for students and staff at the Malden public schools both now and in the immediate future.
“This grant will enable the Malden Public Schools to make significant infrastructure upgrades in technology which will not only support teaching and learning, but also foster overall student achievement,” said School Superintendent John Oteri.
Malden Public Schools Business Manager Toni Mertz and Internet Technology Director Anthony Rodriques worked on guiding the city to obtain $486,000 in federal E-Rate Category 2 funding for the upcoming computer infrastructure and wireless access improvements. The E-Rate funding program addresses internet accessibility and is administered under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Oteri said the money will make a significant difference in both teacher-student interaction and academic results. Malden will also receive $136,000 in federal money to help pay to improve Internet connectivity.
About half of the 2,265 new Chromebooks purchased in June at a cost of $440,000 will go to Malden High students, particularly freshmen and sophomores. The laptops will replace some of the aging Chromebooks that were donated to the Malden Public Schools in 2015. The remainder will be assigned to kindergarten through eighth grade students.
The Chromebooks are part of a one-to-one education initiative adopted several years ago by the public schools where each student and teacher receive a free Chromebook, equipped with a Google education platform for use in middle and high school.
The Chromebooks are used to access the internet, digital course materials and digital textbooks.
Advocates for the one-to-one education model say it offers the benefits of equal access, standardization, easy upgrades, simple networking and the ability to monitor student progress and online behavior.
