KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — As districts work to finish the school year online, Kalamazoo Public Schools is distributing Chromebooks to students.
Many of the laptops are coming from a donation by one local company.
Schupan Asset Management has donated a total of 430 Chromebooks to Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo Covenant Academy. The company refurbishes and recycles technology coming from businesses, hospitals, and schools.
According to Cory Pyscher, the vice president of asset management, the business felt it was important to help students in need during the pandemic.
“Schupan has been in business since 1968 and I think ever since we started giving back to our community, it is just a part of who we are,” Pyscher said.
Parents and students lined up in cars Thursday afternoon to take one home.
KPS is providing the Chromebooks, along with others the district already had through a technology bond proposal, to high school seniors, juniors, and sophomores.
Oscar Lightfoot, a sophomore at Loy Norrix High School, says the donations will make a big impact in the community.
“I think it’s a really awesome thing that they’re doing because there’s definitely a lot of kids out there that don’t have the resources they need to get school work done,” Lightfoot said.
Ty-ana Clark, a senior at Phoenix High School, says students are learning to adjust to online instruction.
“It was better for me to be able to get out of the house and go, but I feel like doing my work online isn’t really a problem,” Clark said.
KPS Assistant Superintendent Cindy Green says the donations are greatly appreciated.
“We’ve got about a third of our students who don’t have either a device or internet access or both,” Green said.
As parents work to become teachers, many are welcoming the task and support from professional educators. Raeana Givan, who has three children enrolled in Kalamazoo Public Schools, is one of them.
“I think that’s the best thing right now,” Givan said. “I would much rather have my kids at home and teach them at home.”
The Chromebooks are being distributed through the schools and not from Schupan Asset Management directly. The company is also working to refurbish several hundred more for donation.
