California schools securing 1 million devices to help close digital divide, state superintendent teases

ByAlix Martichoux KGO logo
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
CA schools secure 1 million new devices, state supt. teases
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond teased a big announcement coming soon on how California plans to close the digital divide.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There's good news on the way for one million California students.

With back-to-school rapidly approaching, and looking very different this year, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said the state has secured up to one million devices to help close the "digital divide."

"We're racing against the clock to help the one million students who are without a computing device and the 400,000 students that don't have access to the internet," Thurmond told ABC7 News.

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It's a huge hurdle to educating students in a time when nearly all California schools are planning to start fall instruction online.

Thurmond said the donation is coming from two companies, but didn't specify their names just yet.

He said the formal announcement is coming Wednesday. Stay with ABC7 News for updates.

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