NYC students: Need an iPad for remote learning? The deadline to request one is Thursday.

Christina Veiga, Originally published in Chalkbeat New York

Time is ticking for students who need a city-issued device to participate in remote learning while school buildings are closed due to the coronavirus.

Families must submit a request by 5 p.m. Thursday in order to receive an internet-enabled iPad by the end of the month — the deadline by which city leaders had hoped to get devices into the hands of every student who needs one.

Requests submitted after Thursday will continue to be filled, but not until May. Families can ask for as many devices as they need by submitting multiple surveys, and the city does not require any financial information to be shared in order to receive one.

Families who need a device should fill out this survey, which is available in nine languages. They can also  call 718-935-5100 and choose option 5.

More than 70,000 students who answered the city’s survey are still waiting for devices.

City schools handed out an estimated 175,000 computers, iPads, Chromebooks, and other devices after buildings were shuttered on March 16. Since then, the education department has shipped to students another 153,000 iPads enabled with WiFi. That already surpasses the city’s initial estimate that 300,000 devices would be needed to make the transition to online learning.

The city has not shared any information about how much money is being spent on the devices.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.