Some Nampa High School students will have to take on a little more responsibility this year.
Laptops are being passed out to Columbia High School students this week.
It's part of the school districts launch of their Personalized Learning Initiative.
While students are set to pick up their laptops in the evening time this week, their teachers are busy during the day preparing for the technology's full integration into their classrooms.
The life sciences teacher at Columbia High School, John Schisel, is looking forward to it.
"It's just catching up to where the world is, whereas before, it wasn't quite where it could have been," he says.
From Schisel's perspective, the technology will go a long way. He says it will allow him to give more freedom to advanced students and more one-on-one instruction for those who are struggling.
The Nampa school district superintendent says the move is crucial for the students' future growth.
"The part of our economy that is shrinking is the part of our economy that is manual work. The part that is growing is the brain work," says Superintendent David Peterson, Nampa School District #131. "So, we need to put kids in a spot where they can do that successfully."
The Personalized Learning Initiative will be released in phases with a quarter of the district on board this year.
Schools for the second phase's dissemination, next year, are currently under consideration.
Another perk that comes with the technology, Schisel says, is that kids without a computer at home can get up to speed.
"With providing them this technology, we can bring them all up a tier, which is an enormous benefit for a lot of students here," Schisel says.
In Nov. of 2015, voters approved an increased supplemental levy to pay for the technology.
Other schools part of phase one include: Central High School, along with Endeavor Lake Ridge, New Horizon and Willow Creek elementary schools. The technology for those students will be distributed in September and October.
