During the most recent Knoxville School Board meeting, the board approved the purchase of iPads for West Elementary so that every student would have their own iPad to use throughout the school year. The purchase of roughly 200 iPads and accessories cost the district $77,782.25. Knoxville Schools Superintendent Cassi Pearson tells KNIA/KRLS News the purchase of the iPads was made possible in large part because of COVID-19. She says the Federal CARES fund was created to help schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and the purchase of the iPads was possible from funds received from the program. She says if the district has to utilize distance learning due to COVID-19 in the fall, every student in the district will now have their own iPad to use. 

The acquisition of the iPads will limit the need for students to share the equipment which is another benefit in the purchase as district staff members will be doing all they can this fall to limit interactions in which germs may be spread in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.