(WBIR - OAK RIDGE) Oak Ridge students received laptops Tuesday for the kick-off of Access Oak Ridge.
Oak Ridge Schools launched the pilot program by handing out laptops to seventh grade students at Robertsville Middle School.
Each student got a a computer, case and charger.
Sixth grade students at Jefferson Middle will receive laptops on Thursday.
Superintendent Dr. Bruce Borchers said the school system hopes all middle school students can have laptops by January 2016.
"It's about being able to make sure that all of our students, not just some of our students that are lucky enough to have a device, but all of our students have access to our digital content," Borchers said.
School officials said it costs about $500,000 a year to rent the laptops for all middle school students.
Borchers hopes to save money by buying fewer hard copy textbooks and investing in technology.
