Superintendent Steve Flores provided an update to the RRISD board of trustees with the latest distribution numbers April 30.
“Our staff have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the past few weeks, and it’s been a powerful reminder of the level of talent, expertise and dedication in this district,” Flores said.
Meal pickups
Among the ways the district is continuing to provide for students, Flores said, is through daily curbside breakfast and lunch distribution.
Since returning from spring break, RRISD has served an average of 2,600 students per day, Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Adix said. This equates to 5,200 meals daily, as students receive lunch and breakfast for the following day at each pickup.
“Any child 18 years and younger is able to receive these meals,” Adix said. “It’s not based on free/reduced status.”
RRISD is serving meals from 11 campuses and two area apartment complexes.
Digital connections
Another critical element for continued learning throughout the spring semester has been the distribution of technology, said Mark Gabehart, RRISD’s executive director of management information services.
To date, approximately 12,000 Chromebooks have been provided to students in need of a laptop computer for home use, Gabehart said.
For some students and staff, internet connectivity is another hurdle the district is seeking to overcome. To that end, RRISD ordered 1,000 Wi-Fi hot spots for staff and students who need reliable access, Gabehart said.
An initial batch of 500 hot spots was delivered in March. All have been assigned to students and staff, and approximately 60 devices have yet to be picked up, according to the April 30 presentation.
RRISD spokesperson Maritza Gallaga said the district received a second set of 500 hot spots May 4.
“We are now working with area superintendents and campus principals to provide us a list of students and staff that need one,” Gallaga said in an email to Community Impact Newspaper. “We hope to have them ready for pick up by early next week.”
The hotspots provide unlimited data at a cost of $20 per month, according to the presentation made to the board of trustees. The district covers the cost, Gallaga said.
