Coronavirus and education: Leon public school students to get laptops after Envision donation

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Envision Credit Union's new two-story, 10,000 square-foot, full-service financial center at 600 N. Monroe Street is now open.  (Photo: Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Envision Credit Union on North Monroe Street has donated $15,000 to the Foundation for Leon County Schools for laptops for public school students during the coronavirus pandemic. 

As schools are shuttered, Leon County's school district has transitioned to a blended model, which includes various online learning platforms. 

The Florida Department of Education has notified school districts that superintendents may reallocate money to purchase laptops for families who need additional resources.

Leon Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna has previously said schools will "firefight" the requests for assistance: "We'll worry about how to pay for it later."

More: Leon County Schools works to bridge digital divide as teachers step into new roles

The Foundation says newly-purchased laptops will be distributed before the end of the month. On March 24, the Florida Department of Education sent a memo to Florida's superintendents with guidelines about distributing laptops or other digital devices. 

The Immokalee Foundation secured about 80 laptops for students in their programs. (Photo: Courtesy of the Immokalee Foundation)

In a press release, Foundation executive Director Eric Clark noted the credit union's donation would help the school district bridge the "digital divide." 

"During this time we recognize that many students need laptops to be able to be successful at distance learning," said Darryl Worrell, president and CEO of the credit union. 

The donation benefits "students who currently do not have access to a personal computer," the foundation said in the press release. 

Hanna said the donation would help "ensure quality instructional continuity during this challenging time." 

For more information, visit www.foundationforlcs.com. 

Contact CD Davidson-Hiers at CDavidsonH@Tallahassee.com, or follow her on Twitter @DavidsonHiers. 

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Leon County School Board Meeting March 24, 2020.