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Canutillo ISD donates laptops
Canutillo ISD to donate laptops to help support distance learning in El Paso region
Posted on 07/16/2020
This is the image for the news article titled Canutillo ISD to donate laptops to help support distance learning in El Paso regionTo help ensure every child in the region has equal access to an education, the Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees, at a special meeting July 16, 2020, approved the donation of 1,500 plus laptop computers to other school districts.

COVID-19 has exposed the dire need for adequate technology resources. Nationwide, technology companies are experiencing shortages in production and unexpected delivery dates. Many districts in Region 19 have had to react to the situation and place orders for hardware systems that will very possibly go unfulfilled by the anticipated start date.

Canutillo ISD has paved the road for an expanded remote learning environment by moving to a 1:1 initiative through Apple and a universal wireless connectivity program, Canutillo Connect. CISD is stepping up again and practicing social responsibility. The district will enter an agreement to provide technology hardware to local children in need. Starting this school year, CISD will transfer technology to other districts in the region to include Fabens ISD, San Elizario ISD, and Sierra Blanca ISD and any other districts that are in need of technological devices.

“When a child succeeds, our community succeeds because we are responsible for all of them,” said Superintendent Dr. Pedro Galaviz. “The superintendents in the region have always created partnerships and collaborate rather than compete. And during this unprecedented time, we will all come together to make sure every student has access needed for a quality education.”

The district has been working to close the gaps in computer and internet access among students that have presented barriers to instruction. It’s a problem that the district addressed and sought to avoid at the outset of the pandemic.

“We understand one of the challenges to remote learning has been ensuring all students have laptops and an internet connection to connect to digital classes,” said CISD Board President Sergio Coronado. “These initiatives aim to give every child a chance to succeed.”

On April 28, 2020, the Trustees approved a $4.8 million request to purchase Apple devices for every student in the district. As a result, students from Pre-Kinder through 12th grade will have access to their own device for the 2020-2021 school year.

At a June 25, 2020, special board meeting, the Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the initial allocation of $300,000 to fund the Canutillo Connect initiative, which will bring universal internet connectivity to the school district’s community through an outside wireless mesh network. The district is the first in the region, and third in the state to take on this broad initiative.