Computers headed to Washoe County students in need.

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - 12,000 computers are needed to fulfill students’ needs here in Washoe County.

3% of that need was met on Wednesday September 2, 2020 thanks to the Assistance League and the Education Alliance.

The Assistance League says they make donations to various organizations throughout the year. But this donation seemed the most pressing.

That is why the league pulled funds from other programs to make this donation happen right now.

“We diverted other funds that would have gone to other things and put them into computers because we saw that as a need,” says Carol Harrinan, President of the Assistance League. “And we wanted to stay as flexible as possible and help the community however we needed to,” she says.

While the school district is applying for grants and filling out forms to receive even more computers, the Education Alliance says this private public partnership was able to get the computers into hands faster.

“We can actually do that through private donations,” says Kendall Inskip, Executive Director of the Education Alliance. “The school district is working very hard ln grants and other money sources through the government and so forth. But we are doing it with private donations and the generosity through our community,” she says.

Washoe County Superintendent Kristen McNeill told the state education board last week, the district should have all 12,000 computers by December. Half of the computers should be in the district by October.

Money to purchase those computers is coming from several sources including the CARES Act, a grant from the city of Reno, and funds generated from Assembly Bill 3, legislation passed last month during a special session of the Nevada Legislature and signed by the governor.

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