Alaska Airlines helps expedite shipment of iPads for Seattle students

As thousands of Seattle students start the school year this week with remote learning, Alaska Airlines helped speed up the delivery of thousands of iPads so students would be ready for the first day.

The Seattle Public Schools Dept. of Technology Services needed 12,000 more devices to support students in kindergarten through 2nd grade but logistical reasons delayed the order from Apple’s warehouse in Boston.

SPS Superintendent Denis Juneau contacted former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, who got a hold of Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden.

The airline was able to ship the iPads from the warehouse to the airport and fly the shipment to Seattle.

“Making sure our community’s children thrive during this time of uncertainty is up to all of us. I have school-age grandchildren, so I know how challenging this last spring was for so many students, especially when you don’t have a laptop or iPad or computer,” said Gregoire.

In all, SPS has supplied devices to almost all 53,000 students to help with remote learning this fall.

The first day for Seattle Public Schools is Friday.

Cox Media Group