Schools in Santa Cruz County were gifted $20,000 to buy Chromebooks for students to use at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
South32, a mining and metals company, donated $10,000 each to Nogales schools and to Rio Rico schools.
Arizona schools have been closed since March 16 and will remain closed through the rest of the school year.
Students have shifted to remote learning at home, with some working online and others utilizing paper packets.
“When we reached out to understand the community’s needs in response to the closures, the schools were clear about what was important,” said Pat Risner, president of the South32 Hermosa Project near Patagonia. “And it was clear that this was the right thing for our company to do. Learning should not have to be sacrificed in these unprecedented times, and we are proud to help. The work educators are doing matters so much to students right now, but it matters to all of us for generations to come.”
The Nogales Unified School District, serving more than 5,600 students, will use the funds to purchase 50 Chromebooks.
Students will be able to check them out and the laptops will be available for use in the classroom when in-person instruction resumes.
