Tacoma Schools give 2,500 laptops to kids stuck at home

TACOMA, Wash. — Students in Tacoma are getting free laptops from Tacoma Public Schools to help them with online studies.

People stood in line or waited in cars outside Mt. Tahoma High School Wednesday morning as the district began distributing 2,500 laptops to students who need them.

“It’s huge,” said Tiffany Metcalf who came with her daughter Mel. “We have three kids, two are juniors, one is out at SAMI, she’s an A.P. (advance placement) student, and then we have a kid in middle school.”

Mel Metcalf will be a senior next year and wants to keep up with her studies. “I’ve been working really hard to stay on track. Even though things aren’t graded I want to make sure I’m in the right mindset,” Metcalf said.

“We’re starting with our seniors and our A.P. students because we know they have online requirements and we want to make sure that they have the ability to do the course work that they need to do,” said Tacoma Public Schools spokesperson Kathryn McCarthy.

Laptops are being distributed at Mt. Tahoma and at Tacoma Public Schools’ Professional Development Center on the city's northeast side. Students who get these laptops get to keep them and families can get as many as they need during the lengthy coronavirus shutdown.

Elijah Hamilton and his mother showed up to pick up a laptop and Hamilton was excited to get his own computer. “I always wanted to get my own laptop,” said Hamilton.

“It means a great deal,” added his mother Laprita, “because we can’t afford a laptop so this is a true blessing for us.”

Information on when and where to pick up a laptop can be found at the district’s website.

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