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HARVEY, La — Since school buildings closed on March 16, Jefferson Parish Schools has served over 150,000 meals to families, provided optional at-home learning resources, and opened academic and emotional support call centers. The district is now working to step into the technology gap for its neediest families. 

JP Schools is starting a Chromebook loaner program and has partnered with Cox Communications to make it easier for families to receive discounted home internet. 

“We know that many of our families lack home access to technology,” said JP Schools Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. “With school closures extended for the rest of this school year, we want to provide technology support so our students can access digital teaching and learning resources for the final five weeks.”

The Chromebook loaner program will begin the week of April 20. School staff are currently connecting with families to assess their technology needs. They will use this information to prioritize the highest need students. Once these students are identified, principals will reach out to those individual families to distribute the Chromebooks. The district has a limited supply available. Chromebooks will be on loan for the next five weeks and must be returned by May 20, 2020.

The district has also partnered with Cox Communications so families can fast track their applications should they need at-home internet access. To access information about Cox’s Connect2Compete Program, please visit this link and click “Qualify Now”. The application can be completed on a mobile device. For a limited time, the first two months of Connect2Compete service is free and $9.95/month thereafter.