All School District 428 students will receive laptops over the next three years for school and home use as part of an $8.5 million plan.

The laptops will be distributed to third through ninth grades in the 2015-16 school year, second grade and 10 through 12th in the 2016-17 school year, and kindergarten and first grade in the 2017-18 school year. The district will also hire 12 instructional coaches and four IT staff within the three-year plan. The plan was approved at a Tuesday school board meeting.

“There isn’t a board member here that didn’t take this profoundly seriously. This has been going on for two years,” said School Board President Tracy Williams about the amount of time already invested in planning for the project. “Every kid deserves the best opportunity.”