Lake Oswego School District begins handing out devices to students for distance learning

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (KPTV) - Starting Wednesday, students in the Lake Oswego School District will be able to complete classwork at home and online during the statewide school closure.

This week, students in kindergarten through 2nd grade will be getting iPads, while Chromebooks will be handed out to 3rd through 12th grade students.

Parents will need to fill out a checkout form before picking up a device.

Lake Oswego is one of the few school districts that can afford to do this for all students.

A few weeks ago, the school district closed down Forest Hills Elementary School for a few days after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Crews in HazMat suits deep cleaned the building and sanitized it before students were allowed to return.

During the closure, district officials began working on contingency plans in case they needed to close more or all schools. Then about a week later, Governor Kate Brown issued a statewide school closure - which has been extended until April 28.

While picking up a Chromebook for his nephew, teacher Ethan Kramer said he wished all districts had the resources to do what Lake Oswego is doing.

“I think it’s extremely important that all the kids have access to their education this entire time. And I’m just worried about some of the communities that don’t have the same budgets that they need,” said Kramer. “The north Portland and Cully neighborhood where I teach, there’s a lot of kids that don’t have access to this kind of stuff and we’re still trying to figure that out so.”

Beginning at 9 a.m., Lakeridge Middle School students and their families can stop by the school to get a Chromebook and a charger. The procedure to get them will be a drive-up, which is in line with the Gov. Brown’s social distancing order.

Pick-up dates for other schools is as follows:

Wednesday, Mar. 25