Google Donates Laptops to Arlington Schools

Google recently donated 60 of its Chromebooks to .

The donation was facilitated by Arlington resident David Krikorian, a Google engineer, according to Superintendent Kathleen Bodie.

“The district is very grateful to [Krikorian] and Google for this very generous gift,” she said. “It is unlikely that we would have been able to afford 60 laptops at this time.”

“One of our district goals is to expand the use of technology to support and enhance teaching and learning,” Bodie added. “While we have a technology budget, it is very limited in comparison to the demand for hardware, wireless environments and software that expanded technology use requires.”

The retail value of the donation is somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. The Chromebooks, known for their easy access to the Internet, long-battery life and ability to save information onto the cloud, won’t be available in stores until June 15.

Thirty of the laptops will be used at , with the other 30 going to . District officials are working on a plan to best utilize the devices, which have already arrived, Bodie said.