The school district has ordered 13,825 Chromebooks to equip all its students with a device ahead of the uncertain next school year.

Chromebooks are considered essential to delivering education to students while the school buildings remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Students did not have Chromebooks when the district was forced to close because of the virus on March 17.

School officials distributed 7,000 Chromebooks to high school students and devised a virtual learning plan to deliver remote learning.

But that left thousands of lower grades without devices.

Earlier in the month, district officials revealed students at 20 schools lacked devices. The district needed 9,725 Chromebooks to equip those students. 14 other schools had partial distribution of Chromebooks, leaving 3,065 students without devices.

Without devices, students were expected to complete and return so-called learning packets that, parents say, provided pupils with very little learning.

School officials said obtaining Chromebooks became difficult after the virus struck because of supply problems.

“We expect the devices to be delivered some time between the end of July and the middle of August,” said Paul Brubaker, spokesman for the Paterson Public Schools, on Wednesday. “This will equip every student K to 8 with a device.”

Brubaker pointed out high school students were already given devices.

School officials formed a partnership with Altice USA to provide internet connectivity to the student.

Superintendent Eileen Shafer is using federal Cares Act funds to purchase the devices. The district is spending $3.5 million on the 13,825 devices.

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