OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Staff with the Osceola County School District are getting computers and tablets ready to be given to all students in every grade level. 

This school year, Osceola is starting the “one-to-one” initiative, meaning each child will receive a digital device. Kindergarteners and first graders will get iPads while older children will get laptops.  

Hassanna Malainine, a single dad of three kids and who lives at a motel on U.S. 192, said he is happy to have one less thing to worry about this school year.

“That would be a great blessing for me and my children to be honest with you, so they don't have to fight over one computer,” he said. “That would give them broader access to the internet, that would be a blessing to be honest with you that Osceola is offering that. That would help a lot of families.”

Osceola County School Board Member Terry Castillo said this was made possible thanks to COVID-related money from the federal government.

“We have received some funding from the federal government, so $2.3 million from the CARES Act, and we’ve also received $16 million allocation ESSER II funds (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund)," she said. "So all of that together is going to allow us to finance the one-to-one initiative district wide."

Castillo said the initiative is going to open up the world to children in a different way.

“This is a computer that is dedicated specifically for studies, and a lot of students like you mentioned do not have access to any computers,” she said. “This is going to equal out the playing field for all of our students. We're all going to be starting from the same place."

Malainine is working on getting back to school supplies and uniforms for his three little ones. If you’d like to contribute, tap here. 

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