CITY OF GRANBURY PROVIDES NECESSARY MONEY FOR GISD CHROMEBOOKS, HOTSPOTS

August 19, 2020 

The Granbury City Council approved money allowing Granbury ISD to provide students with Chromebooks and hot spots on August 18, 2020. 

“We are grateful for the support of Mayor Nin Hulett, City Manager Chris Coffman, and the city council for their leadership in making this technology available to GISD students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented GISD superintendent Dr. Jeremy Glenn.  “These devices will support both in-person and virtual students and provide necessary technology to deliver and enrich instruction.” 

The council award totaled $54,944.25 in federal funds provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  The money was necessary to allocate a 25% local match for the Operation Connectivity program sponsored by the Texas Education Agency, which will provide the remaining 75% of the total of $219,977. 

Operation Connectivity is a partnership between Governor Greg Abbott, TEA, and local school districts to connect all of the state’s 5.5 million public school students with a device and reliable Internet connection.  According to TEA, 1.8 million students in the state lack technology to learn from home. 

GISD will receive 800 Chromebooks and 136 hot spots. The technology devices connect to district instructional technology through Google Classroom and See Saw and will be allotted to both virtual students and in-person classrooms.  The hot spots through AT&T and Verizon will come with unlimited data for a year. 

Approximately ten percent of GISD students lack reliable connectivity in the home, according to Dr. Glenn.  Economically disadvantaged students in the school district account for 52% of the total enrollment of approximately 7,200.  In addition, over 1,700 students from diverse backgrounds are currently attending school through GISD@Home virtual instruction. 

Device delivery to school districts will take several weeks. 

The city council also approved $20,000 in CARES Act funds to cover the school district’s loss of Chromebrooks damaged or unreturned following the shutdown of all campuses in the spring.