Distance learning begins soon for Sacramento-area students. But will everyone have a laptop?

The Sacramento City Unified School District will be distributing additional laptops on Friday and Saturday as students prepare for the start of distance learning on Monday.

Elementary-aged students can pick up one of 8,600 computers at more 50 school sites in the city. This second wave of laptop distribution comes after the district checked out 3,500 laptops on April 3.

The Google Chromebooks are largely from classrooms. Many, if not all, of the area districts have been dismantling classroom Chromebook carts, and checking the laptops out to students. While most schools do not have a one-to-one laptop to student ratio, each district has thousands of laptops students use on a daily basis.

“We ultimately expect to provide each of our students from all grade levels a computer within the next few weeks,” read a statement from the district. “Again, we still expect instruction to take place through other means, including by conference calls, phone, textbooks, other school materials, and assigned work.”

But Sacramento City Unified told parents in a statement on April 7 that it will be unable to complete the distribution of computers to all 40,000 students before April 13. The district does plan to provide a laptop to each of its students who request one, district officials said.

Sacramento City Unified announced it purchased 20,000 laptops, and officials say those devices have been trickling in for distribution.

“As schools, organizations, and individuals all ordered computers simultaneously, vendors are dealing with massive shipping delays because of COVID-19,” read the statement. “This is just the state of the world right now and we are seeing delays on orders in almost every industry.”

The Sacramento City Teachers Association said it was concerned about the distribution process.

“Despite repeated requests, SCUSD officials have yet to provide any information on how students will be able participate in distance learning without access to computers,” a statement from the teachers union said. “In addition, the district is not providing any specifics of when all Sac City students will be provided computers.”

Other Sacramento-area school districts did not place orders for more laptops, and are continuing to distribute what they have in stock. Some districts have had success in reaching nearly every student, and others are expecting students to continue reaching out for resources in the coming weeks.

Natomas Unified school officials say they have made contact with 99.7 percent of the district’s 15,000 students, and have distributed nearly all of their 6,000 laptops and 300 hotspots. The district is working on reaching out to the last 100 students before they begin distance learning on April 20.

The district is providing the remaining hotspots to neighboring school districts to help fill their needs.

Elk Grove Unified, the largest district in Northern California with a population of 63,000 students, is still distributing Chromebooks this week. Students can pick up a laptop from one of the nine high schools in Elk Grove Unified.

More than a third of the district’s secondary students and nearly half the district’s fifth and sixth graders have checked out a Chromebook. The district is continuing its distribution this week, before it begins its distance learning on April 16 for secondary students and April 20 for elementary-aged students.

Twin Rivers Unified has distributed more than 8,600 of its 12,000 Chromebooks and 625 of its 2,500 hotspots to its students. District officials expect to have all Chromebooks distributed before distance learning begins on April 27.

“We are and will continue to make every effort to connect with every student,” read an email from Twin Rivers district officials to The Sacramento Bee. “We know that we will need to make adjustments after April 27 to better support our students and families.”

San Juan Unified, a district of nearly 40,000 students, has distributed nearly 12,000 total devices to date. Next week, the district will continue holding distribution events for its elementary schools, as distance learning for K-6 schools begins on April 20. Students at K-8 schools and middle and high schools will begin distance learning on April 15.

Several school officials across the region stressed that not all distance learning will be done online. Younger students can expect packets, and some high school students can expect assignments from textbooks or other school materials.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 1:36 PM.