NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Starting this week, Norfolk Public Schools will pass out iPads, laptops and Chromebooks to help students stay on track as they attend lessons virtually.
Norfolk's students, along with all others in the state, are continuing school virtually through the end of the year to slow the spread of coronavirus in Virginia.
The school system wrote that by providing these tools to students who reported a need, they hope to help bridge the digital divide among students in the city.
On April 20, the school system passed out devices to Maury High School students, and seniors at Booker T. Washington and Granby high schools. The rest of the week, the distribution will open to students of other ages.
The school division said it would be helping students access wireless hotspots starting in May, to help students who don't have access to the internet.
Before they can give individual students access to hotspots, the school system said students can use the WiFi at all of its public schools, because those signals extend into the parking lots of each school.
Norfolk Public Schools technology should automatically connect to NPS WiFi at those locations.