Chromebooks for students delayed due to national demand

Mission, OR – In July, the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) approved the purchase of a Chromebook for every school-age tribal member. 

However, due to increased demand across the country, the Chromebooks are not expected to arrive until late October - long after school has begun.   

Students are advised to check out a Chromebook from their school district to begin the school year. At a later time when they have received a Chromebook from CTUIR they can return the Chromebook they have on loan from their school.  

To minimize confusion, no further information will be distributed about the Chromebooks until they have been received by CTUIR. Parents and families are encouraged to make arrangements with their schools as soon as possible.

“We are anxious to get the technology into the hands of Tribal students,” said Modesta Minthorn, Education Department Director. ”We have the addresses we need. Despite the excitement, we urge families to wait for us to contact you when we have the Chromebooks in hand. We have been inundated with calls and emails. Please know we will distribute them as quickly as possible after they arrive.”

Acer Chromebooks are an affordable alternative to a laptop. They run on a Google Chrome operating system and offer less storage than a traditional Windows or Mac laptop but provide full access to the internet-based classroom activities that students need while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is made up of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes, formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 statute 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the treaty rights guaranteed under federal statute.