Mooresville schools' laptop distribution begins Tuesday

By: Melinda Skutnick | Mooresville Tribune
Published: August 17, 2009

With only one week until the start of a new school year, the Mooresville Graded School District will begin distributing laptops to students this week as part of its ongoing Digital Conversion.

Although Mooresville High students will have to wait until the first week of classes for their laptops – school begins Aug. 25 – fourth- through eighth-graders will receive their machines starting Tuesday.

Parents of all students throughout the district are required to attend a parent training session this week if their child is receiving an MGSD laptop for the first time.

Those parents who attended a training session last year are not required to attend again. However, all parents must sign a "required use policy" as well as pay a $50 laptop insurance fee prior to the computer's issuance.

Laptop deployment, including parent training sessions, for East Mooresville Intermediate, Mooresville Intermediate and Mooresville Middle schools will be held at the new MHS Magnolia Street annex, formerly the MMS campus, at 160 S. Magnolia St.

For EMIS parents and students, deployment will be Aug. 18 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. as well as Aug. 19 from 1-3 p.m.

For MIS parents and students, deployment will be Aug. 19 from 9-11 a.m. as well as Aug. 20 at 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

And for MMS parents and students, deployment will be Aug. 19 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. as well as Aug. 21 from 9-11 a.m.

A last chance deployment and training session for grades four through eight will also be held Aug. 24 from 4-6 p.m.

Laptops will be given to students during all of these training sessions.

Parents of MHS students can attend a parent training session at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 18, 19 or 20. Although laptops will not be deployed at this time, parents must sign the "required use policy" and pay the necessary fee.

Those parents who completed the required training last year can attend any of these sessions to complete the forms and pay the $50 fee. Scott Smith, chief technology officer for the MGSD, said MHS parents "need to pay before school starts if at all possible."

An online-payment option is also available for MGSD parents.

For additional information, or to pay the laptop insurance fee online, visit www.mgsd.k12.nc.us