Edison High School has instituted its 1:1 Chromebook initiative and received a helping hand from the Richmond American Legion Post 740 by way of funding.

   Legion members presented a $1,000 check to the school on Feb. 28 to outfit seventh-graders with devices for more modern learning. Principal Matt Morrison said the initiative began this year in grades 7-12 and some of the 600 devices were received during that week. The plan is for students to gradually begin taking them home.

   “The seventh-grade was given 120 new Chromebooks to take home this month for the rest of their tenure at EHS,” Morrison said. “Grades 7-9 will have their own devices at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year and we are planning for grades 10-12 to take them home sometime during the next school year.”

   He added that each device, which includes a cover and charger, is worth approximately $300 and parents have the option to purchase annual insurance. The high-tech tools also replace textbooks and save on costs in the process.

   “We are no longer buying traditional textbooks for every subject,” Morrison continued. “Five or more textbooks are worth more than one Chromebook.”

   He was grateful to the Legion for its ongoing support and said the group has been extremely active within the school district.

   “They support our students in numerous activities such as Boys and Girls State and American Legion baseball. They make numerous monetary donations towards flags, library funding, literacy supplements and Chromebooks,” Morrison said. “They also provide an Americanism test competition that our students participate in.”

   Dan Vojvodich, Legion chaplain, said the veterans’ organization has been a longtime supporter of the school district and funds were raised through activities and donations.

   “We donated $1,000 for Chromebooks for Edison High School to be a contributor to the education of our kids,” he said. “Our purpose here is to try to help the schools anyway we can through education. Good things happen in these schools.”