McKeesport Area School District gets big surprise on TODAY Show

McKEESPORT, Pa. — The McKeesport Area School District has been struggling to get remote learning equipment into every student’s home, but it got a big surprise on national television Friday morning.

Thousands of laptops will go to students in the district. The TODAY Show was at McKeesport High School to help let them know.

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Comcast made the donation of 2,500 laptops to all the district’s high school and middle school students, teachers and staff. The company will also be giving free Internet for a year to families that qualify.

The TODAY Show said the surprise might have been the biggest one it has ever pulled off, and Channel 11 News was there to see it!

Of all the school districts in the country, Comcast picked McKeesport because it had such a hard time getting devices for its students, and not all families have access to the Internet.

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“I’m really excited to now say every kid has the same equal playing field as every other school district in the area,” Superintendent Mark Holtzman said.

That wasn’t the case in the spring when they had to send paper packets home with students because they didn’t have the tools to learn online.

Now, about half of the district is learning from home and the other half is back in the classroom, including senior twins Aundre and Asaad Robinson. “It’s a great opportunity. I really appreciate it. Thanks to everyone who looked out for our school district because we need it. We really appreciate it,” Aundre Robinson said.

The donation is part of Comcast’s Internet Essentials Partnership Program that looks to bridge the digital divide in low income communities.

“We know how important this is, especially during the pandemic. So many student have to learn remotely and learn at home, so they’ve got to have a computer,” Comcast spokesperson Bob Grove said.

Students in McKeesport get major surprise from TODAY Show

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