Fayette ordered 12,000 Chromebooks for students to start year virtually. They haven’t arrived.

A shortage of mobile devices for students is challenging Fayette County Public Schools as the district starts the 2020-2021 school year virtually on Wednesday during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a message to families Monday night, officials said that currently, the district has roughly 35,000 Chromebooks on hand for more than 43,000 students.

In July, Fayette County schools ordered another 12,000 devices, but because of a nationwide shortage at the manufacturing level, the devices had not arrived by Monday.

“Those devices are not going to get here before Wednesday,” said district Director of Technology Bob Moore.

Fayette County Public Schools has invested $6.5 million to provide each student with a mobile device.

“We paid for the product. Now we are just waiting to receive it. We are trying to be as creative, as thoughtful and as collaborative as we can in this time and space,” Fayette Superintendent Manny Caulk said at Monday’s school board meeting.

Students in Fayette schools will be engaged in virtual learning for at least six weeks. Caulk has said the number of COVID-19 cases will be reviewed at various intervals before a decision is made to return to in-person learning. Until then, students will either participate in non-traditional instruction or the separate Virtual Learning Academy.

The district should receive 3,000 additional Chromebooks before the end of next week; remaining devices are scheduled to arrive in early October, Moore said.

Until the entire order is filled, the school districts is placing a priority on putting Chromebooks in the hands of students who would not otherwise have access to a computer at home.

Once all shipments are complete, the staff will be able to distribute additional devices so that every student has a district-issued Chromebook and replace older devices with newer ones.

School board member Christy Morris mentioned Monday night that students at Cardinal Valley Elementary needed more Chromebooks. Some families raised questions online during Monday’s virtual meeting about when they would get Chromebooks or additional information about the Virtual Learning Academy.

Chromebooks are still available in the district, and staff are working to move devices from schools with surplus inventory to meet needs at other schools. Elementary schools are being prioritized so those students can start the school year with a device in their hand.

“It’s not the news we had hoped for, but we’re making it work,” said Moore. He said they are getting devices where they need to be.

Moore told the school board Monday night that teachers are being given equipment such as 800 webcams, additional microphones and speakers and are receiving technology training. Schools are prepared to give students who are engaged in NTI alternate instruction until they get their Chromebooks, district officials said.

Families of students enrolled in the Fayette Virtual Learning Academy, a program separate from the non-traditional instruction initiative, will receive additional information about picking up Chromebooks this week.

Moore said as many Virtual Learning Students as possible will get Chromebooks this week. About 1800 students have been enrolled in the Virtual Learning Academy , Moore said, and although they may not have a device on Wednesday, district officials will be interacting with families to set up the school year.

School board chairwoman Stephanie Spires said the district will make sure that families that don’t have a device or need a separate one for their child will get one.

Students will not be penalized for not having a computer, and teachers will work with families individually to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in learning. If a child needs a Chromebook, parents should call their school.

Fayette County schools continues to offer hotspots to families without internet access at home in order to allow every student to access digital resources that are critical to helping each student achieve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moore said the district has distributed 1100 hot spots and is ordering more.

Hotspots are distributed through the Family Resource and Youth Service Centers, and each hotspot can support multiple students.

“We are not out of hot spots but we are down to where we are holding some back for a case-by-case basis,” until they get the additional ones in, said Moore. The district has had a rapid increase in requests for hot spots. If a student doesn’t have internet access at home, they can request a hot spot.

“This is an equity issue, it’s an opportunity issue,” said Moore.

Families who do not have internet access at home, should call their child’s school.

“We’re here to help,so you have the resources to help your child,” Caulk said.

Fayette is not the only district to see delays in mobile device delivery.

Knott County Schools planned to start online Monday, but a delay in a shipment of laptops caused Superintendent Kim King to reschedule the start of distance learning to Sept. 8

On another front, Fayette County schools announced changes in how meals would be served during the virtual learning period.

Since March, cafeterias provided expanded meal services for children and families made possible by a national waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under those guidelines, child nutrition employees served 588,753 meals in just four and a half months.

The federal government announced late last week that it will not extend the waiver, which will reduce the number of children who can be served. Beginning Wednesday, meal distribution will be similar to the restrictions in place when children are physically in school. students currently enrolled in Fayette County Public Schools may receive meals. (Previously, the district fed any child under the age of 18.)

Meals must run through students’ school meal accounts. Qualifying students will receive free meals; others will have to pay. (Previously, meals were free for all.)

Food can only be distributed for school days. (Previously, the district distributed meals for seven days each week.)

Breakfast and lunch will be available at 47 school pick-up locations on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, the district will distribute two breakfasts and two lunches. On Wednesdays, it will distribute three breakfasts and three lunches.

This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 10:38 AM.