Saginaw Schools Extend Online Learning Partnership

Saginaw Students who have gotten familiar with the software being used for at-home learning over the past few months during the coronavirus pandemic won’t have to learn a new program at the start of the upcoming school year.
Unanimously approved by the Saginaw board of education, 3,800 student licenses for IXL Learning were purchased for use for all Kindergarteners through 8th graders.
The program, which assists students in learning math, science, and language fundamentals, was used with K-6th grade students over the past three months with an 80 percent access rate.

Dr. Lisa Tran, Saginaw Public Schools Director of Elementary Education, says that number could be higher, but some parents may not have access to the internet or chose the written packet option.
In regards to the upcoming school year, Superintendent Dr Ramont Roberts says the board will be discussing options available to provide WiFi hotspot devices students in homes without internet access, in addition to the Chromebook laptops many have already been leant.

IXL had been free to use by the district for its first three months, and will now be accessible to district students for the next three years. The $135,000 price tag for the licenses is discounted (By approximately $30,000) because of the multi-year deal, which Dr. Roberts says will help with future online or hybrid-classroom learning opportunities.