Scottsdale schools lend computers to needy students
Jun 1, 2012, 7:12 AM | Updated: Jun 4, 2012, 10:34 pm
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottsdale Unified School District is putting its old computers to good use.
In February,the district launched a program called TekLink, which is aimed at making sure students who don’t have a home computer could have one through the school year.
“We treat it like a library book,” said Denny Brown, vice president of the district governing board. “You pay a $20 deposit, you keep the computer for a school year, return your computer [at the end of the year], and get back your deposit.”
Brown said the computers are refurbished by district high school students and given free software so students can use them to do school work.
Parents are also able to use the computers to keep in touch with the district through their web communications program.
“We are expanding our kids’ horizons,” Brown said. “We’ve also been helped to learn how they will prepare a paper for middle school, or how they will prepare a paper for high school.”
The school district is taking in donated computers and computer equipment to refurbish for next year at the district office building located near Indian School Road and 44th Street.
The program distributed roughly 150 computers to students last year.
