Guilford County Schools may end take-home devices for students

Guilford County Schools students could soon lose the ability to take district-issued devices home as officials finish student technology plans and try to close a funding shortfall. For families that depend on a school laptop or tablet after the bell, the change would reach into homework, digital textbooks, online assignments and job applications.

WFMY News 2 said the district is facing a device shortage and an unfunded technology replacement request. One related report said Northwest Guilford High has already told families that students will not be able to take home their school-issued laptops anymore. That puts the burden on households that have limited internet service, no reliable computer or several children sharing one device.

The practical effect is straightforward: students who once logged in from the kitchen table may have to finish all digital work before they leave campus. Parents who work evenings or juggle transportation and child care could find it harder to help children get through online submissions, study for tests or communicate with teachers after school hours. In Guilford County, where schools serve a large and diverse student population, the loss of home access can quickly become a school-to-home equity issue.

The budget pressure also points to how expensive student technology has become. WFMY previously reported that Guilford County Schools ordered nearly 80,000 laptops and expected a four-month delay before receiving them. In another report, the district gave out 960 laptops to middle school teachers as part of a broader distribution effort involving 79,000 devices. During the pandemic, a Greensboro-area organization donated 10,000 free laptops to Guilford County Schools amid a severe shortage.

Statewide, EdNC reported that federal COVID-19 relief initially helped districts buy Chromebooks and other devices for use at home and school. That funding has faded, and EdNC said nearly 20% of North Carolina households do not have access to a meaningful device. The same outlet also reported in 2022 that a legislative committee heard about nutrition and technology spending in schools, showing that device costs have stayed on the budget agenda long after emergency aid ended.

The district has faced this kind of pressure before. WFMY reported in 2015 that Guilford County Schools was running out of things to cut and that jobs and programs could be next if requested money did not come through. Now, as officials decide how many devices students can take home, families in Greensboro, High Point and across Guilford County may learn that the school day is no longer enough time to finish the work.