Rock Hill high school students to get laptops in January

Students at Rock Hill’s three high schools will receive their district-issued laptop computers in the first week of January.

Distribution will start at South Pointe, followed by Northwestern and then Rock Hill. School officials expect the process should take about a week for all three schools.

The district spent $5 million to buy 5,000 HP EliteBook 840 laptop computers. Distribution of the computers was delayed while the school board waited on protective cases to be made and installed.

The laptops are part of the school district’s iRock one-to-one initiative, which assigns each student in grades 3 through high school a tablet or laptop computer.

Each computer will have a tracking device that can’t be deleted or altered from the computer, school officials said.

The tracking process would start only after a district-owned computer is reported lost or stolen.

“No one will be looking at the computers location day to day,” said Joel Whitesides, executive director of technology for Rock Hill schools.

Parents of students in grades 3-8 who would like their child to be able to take their computer home must meet several requirements, according to the school district.

A parent or guardian must attend an orientation session on the district’s Mobile Computing Guide. An online version of the orientation can be viewed at rockhill.instructure.com/courses/1082.

A parent or guardian also must agree to and sign the terms set forth in the Personal Mobile Computing Guide.

School officials said the high schools have been working with parents since the beginning of the school year to obtain necessary approvals.

Parents can buy a technology protection plan for $35 to cover damage, malfunction, one-time screen breakage and one-time loss or theft replacement for one year. Families who cannot afford the $35 can apply to their school for assistance.

Parents do not have to buy the protection plan for their child to be allowed to bring a computer home, but they assume liability for it if they choose not to buy the plan.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Rock Hill high school students to get laptops in January."