After months of anticipation, hundreds of laptops were distributed to the freshman class this week. The mLISD initiative had their launch Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 19-20 during Professional Communications classes.

“The roll out experience has been very smooth,” tech support specialist Scott Robinson said. “We’ve had a lot of help from parent volunteers and people frim district. It has gone very well.”

The library and Lecture Hall were used for the distribution with students receiving training on the rules and regulations for the new Lenovo laptops. Freshmen paid a $35 fee to use the laptops this semester with students on reduced lunch paying $17.50.

As of last week, about half of the freshman class had paid their fees to receive the mobile device. Students also had the option to bring their own device.

“I brought my own laptop because I hate the schools because the Lenovos are too slow and I’m annoyed with the mouse,” freshman Kaitlyn Roberts said.

Students who haven’t already paid can bring cash, debit or credit to the front office can go to the front office and complete the paperwork.

“It’s an individual thing,” bookkeeper Dana Klein said. “Students can come in and request paperwork from the guidance office.”

The Lenovos come with a neoprene sleeve and power cord. They also have additional software, like Mircrosoft and Adobe that students can use in their education.

“The software we have is pretty good,” Robinson said. “Our students won’t have to purchase that.”

The Raider tech squad, a group of students that are available to help with technical issues, will have new opportunities to grow and assist the freshman class.

“Now that we have freshmen with the laptops, sooner or later, a freshman will need help with something,” senior Justin Fields said. “I feel like we are going to be a lot more active this semester. I feel like we are going to help out more than did.”

The district highly recommends all freshmen participate in the program as classes will be utilizing the mobile technology more and more. The laptop carts that classes previously used are no longer available since those devices were those ones given out to the freshman class. Freshmen who still need to pay their fee to receive a laptop can bring payments by the front office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Feb. 17.

“I just hope we have a large participation of the freshmen getting them, going into their sophomore group,” Robison said.

The mLISD program is part of a new initiative by the district to put more technology in students’ hands. The plan calls for all sixth graders and freshmen across the district to receive laptops this year and additional grades to receive them next year. Students are only responsible for paying a small fee to cover the cost of insurance for the machines.