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Elmwood Park District 401 starts year with new computers
John Mills School fifth grade student Jackie Vargas does some research about vertebrates and invertebrates using one of the new laptops bought by Elmwood Park School District 401 this school year. | Contributed photo
Updated: October 28, 2012 6:23AM
ELMWOOD PARK — Students, teachers and staff at Elmwood Park School District 401 started the school year off with new computers.
The school district leased 875 new Hewlett-Packard computers, 350 of them laptops. The rest are desktop computers.
District 401 Business Manager Thomas Zelek said the district’s old three-year lease with the company expired, but the school district recently renewed it.
“With the lease, we get a better value with that,” he said. “We have a three-year warranty and a three-year lease.”
He said the computers run well and all have Microsoft Windows 7.
Teachers get their own laptop, as do district administrators. There is usually a desktop computer in each classroom for students.
Laptops can be brought into a classroom for students to use. High school students can take a laptop home, if given approval.
Zelek said the district received a good deal on the equipment because the technology has improved. The technology represents another educational research tool for everyone in the district.
Peter Herbert, principal at John Mills Elementary School, 2824 N. 76th Ave., said he and the students are enjoying the new computers.
“I love my new one,” he said. “We’re very excited.”
