The head of the Bloomington School District is thanking State Farm Insurance for a donation of close to a thousand laptop computers.
A State Farm Insurance company gift of about a thousand laptop computers to District 87 fast tracks a number of initiatives.
Superintendent Barry Reilly said the Lenovo Thinkpads are being reconditioned and given to elementary school students as young as third grade.
"Our goal was to be one to one grades three through twelve by the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. We will be there half way through this year which puts us a year and a half ahead," said Reilly.
Reilly said the longer term technology partnership with the Bloomington-based insurance giant has allowed the district to invest in high quality wi-fi networks in all school buildings.
About fifteen percent of Bloomington High School students are getting a reduced rate home internet based. Superintendent Reilly said he's pleased with the extension of the low income program to the high school through a partnership with Frontier.
"There are those out there, and I'm one of them, who view this as more of a basic social justice issue, an equal rights issue. Because, the internet is no longer this added bonus for people to use. It's essential in our world today," said Reilly.
About half of all District 87 students are eligible for the program. Reilly said he's working with Congressman Rodney Davis's office to find out of the program could become eligible for the federal e-rate internet program.
