60,000 Dallas ISD students set to begin picking up electronic devices on Monday

Dallas ISD families will begin the process Monday of picking up tens of thousands of iPads and Chromebooks for elementary and middle school students.

Devices arrived at schools for pickup on Friday. About 60,000 elementary students are receiving electronic devices. As of now, families still have the option of virtual or in-person learning.

Erika Avila’s daughter is starting pre-k.

“I want her to have her first year of school experience,” she said.

But because of the pandemic, she’ll be learning virtually.

“I think I might keep her home because it’s just scary to take a risk,” Avila said.

About 46,000 pre-k to second-grade students are receiving iPads, and about 14,000 third to fifth graders are receiving Chromebooks.

Dallas ISD is covering the $20 million investment with general operating and 2015 bond funds, as well as support from its educational foundation and community partners.

The district already equipped its middle and high school students with devices in April. Virtual learning is forcing the district to speed up the process for elementary kids.

Earlier this week, Mansfield ISD drew criticism from parents after some waited for hours in long lines to pick up devices. Some even left emptyhanded.

Mansfield is now delivering the remaining devices with school already underway to families’ homes, but the district has not said how many still need to be delivered.

Dallas ISD says it’s taken notes from this situation and hopes its plan spread out at different schools over several weeks will go smoothly.

As of now, Dallas ISD parents have the option to opt their students for in-person or online learning.

Avila believes there’s no right or wrong decision.

“Just try to do our best as parents. No one’s perfect. No one’s decision is better than the others,” she said.

Dallas ISD delayed the start of school until Sept. 8 and currently says in-person classes will be an option on that day. But the district also says at the end of the month it will re-evaluate and look at the pandemic trends and determine if it should be remote learning only to start.