Battle Ground Public Schools receives $1.4M grant for student technology, connectivity

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Battle Ground Public Schools will upgrade student technology and internet connectivity after the district received a nearly $1.4 million grant from the Federal Communication Commission’s E-Rate program.

The district plans to purchase 1,900 new Chromebooks, the majority of which will replace existing units that no longer function or are obsolete, and will submit monthly internet hotspot costs so they can be reimbursed from the grant. 

The funding was made possible through the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which is a $7.17 billion investment in school and library technology approved in the American Rescue Plan of 2021, stated a news release. 

“This is an amazing opportunity for the district,” said Scott McDaniel, the district’s director of technology services, in the release. “Upgraded Chromebooks and working internet connectivity are two critical resources necessary for student success. Both are tools that can really accelerate learning and increase student engagement.”



The district currently maintains about 12,000 Chromebooks and 1,300 internet hotspots as part of its 1 to 1 initiative that was started in 2016. The initiative was completed during the 2020-21 school year and allows the district to pivot quickly to remote and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, stated the release.

Students in grades 6-12 can take a Chromebook home during the school year, while grades 2-5 have access to a personal Chromebook while at school. Students in kindergarten and first grades have a cart of Chromebooks available for every two classrooms.

The district replaces around 1,200 Chromebooks in an average year that are no longer able to receive security updates or are not able to be repaired, while the cost to provide internet hotspots to students when they were learning remotely cost approximately $650,000.