Broward County Public Schools is bringing laptops back to classrooms—and homes—this fall. Beginning August 11, every student in the district will receive a personal laptop computer to use for both in-school and at-home learning, school officials confirmed.
The initiative marks the district’s first large-scale laptop distribution since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when students were issued devices for remote learning. Most kept them through the end of the 2020–21 school year, but no similar rollout has occurred since—until now.
“This is really important,” said School Board member Jeff Holness, who first raised the idea during a February board meeting. “When we have our teachers and our schools providing learning outcomes for students based upon doing assignments at home on the internet, it is imperative for us to provide that opportunity to all our students.”
In tandem with the laptop program, the district plans to collaborate with internet providers to ensure low-income families have access to free or affordable home internet, eliminating barriers to digital learning outside the classroom.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn, who previously served in Palm Beach County, cited the continued success of Palm Beach’s Chromebook program as a model. That district began issuing devices during the pandemic and has maintained the program ever since.
The laptop distribution comes as the district tightens policies on other devices. Last year, Broward joined a handful of Florida districts in expanding a state ban on cellphone use during instructional time to include lunch, study halls, and class transitions. Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have not followed suit.
Unlike smartphones, the district-issued laptops will come with strict internet filters. Students will be blocked from accessing social media platforms, games, and messaging apps, ensuring the devices are used for educational purposes only. Officials also emphasized that teachers will regulate laptop use in class, permitting them only when needed for assignments or instruction.
Students and educators say the return of laptops will help level the playing field, allowing all students to complete homework, conduct research, and take quizzes online—regardless of their access to personal devices at home.
