Laptop program expands for Woodland students in Gurnee

Fourth- and fifth-grade students at Woodland Intermediate School in Gurnee received Google Chromebooks for the first time Wednesday as part of Woodland Elementary District 50's expansion of its laptop program this year.

In June, the District 50 school board voted unanimously to expand the program to include the nearly 1,300 fourth- and fifth-grade students at Woodland Intermediate. Under the plan, the Gurnee-based district will lease the equipment for three years at a cost of $338,727.

The decision to lease more laptops was made after the district ran a successful pilot program called Woodland Inspires last year for about 300 fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Steve Thomas, the Gurnee-based district's assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said the technology allows teachers and students to enhance their collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.

Last year, the district expanded the Chromebook program to include about 2,180 middle school students for the first time.

The process of handing out the Chromebooks at Woodland Intermediate will continue on Thursday and Friday.

Even kindergarten through third-grade students will benefit from the expanded laptop program, officials say, because desktop computers previously in fourth- through eighth-grade classrooms are being sent to the earlier grades.