# Ohio schools get surplus DOD laptops

/ Published July 20, 2023
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. , 
When students return to Minford Elementary School in Ohio this fall, they will have more than 300 new laptops thanks to Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services’ “Computers for Learning.”

                Minford School District Technology Assistant, Tim Coriell configures some of the laptops acquired through DLA Disposition Services' Computers For Learning program for students.                            Red shirt with computers                            Minford School District Technology Assistant, Tim Coriell configures some of the laptops acquired through DLA Disposition Services' Computers For Learning program for students.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Ryan StockhamVIRIN: 230707-O-D0441-014Ryan Stockham, the technology supervisor of the Minford School District, said he learned about CFL at a state tech conference a decade ago and began using it to support his district and students.

"It was about two years into the program that I scored approximately 1,600 laptops, enabling the district to issue a laptop to each student," Stockham said. "We were the first district in our area that was able to do that."

One of the students that benefited from the CLF program at Minford was Bradley Lore. He is currently a summer tech intern with his alma mater.

Lore said he was in high school when he discovered that the laptops they were using had come from the military.  

Many courses throughout his high school career focused on technology. He noticed how much of the world relied on computers and said he decided it was something he wanted to be a part of.

Working on the CFL laptops this summer has been Lore’s favorite part of the job.

“To be able to give back to the place that structured part of my life is a big deal to me, and I hope I can make a big difference structuring part of someone else’s,” Lore said.

While some of those 1,600 laptops that Lore used growing up are still in use, Stockham said they will now be retired. The latest batch of laptops will be placed in computer centers throughout the elementary school, where teachers will use them to teach subjects like math, reading, and other basic skills.

"CFL provides useful IT equipment to schools and educational nonprofit organizations serving students from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade," said CFL Program Manager José Aguero, noting that the authority to give former DOD technology to educational organizations was established in 1996 by executive order.

"We must remove the hard drives from all computers that are given out under the Computer for Learning program according to DOD instructions,” Aguero said. “The purpose of the instruction is to help safeguard information that may still be recoverable from the hard drives."

                Bradley Lore stands next to a laptop cart in a Minford elementary school classroom. The district just acquired over 300 laptops from DLA Disposition Services Computers for Learning program. Lore is a graduate of Minford High school and is working this summer as a Tech intern at the district, part of his duties this summer is to get the laptops ready for the students return in the fall.                            Guy with hat                            Bradley Lore stands next to a laptop cart in a Minford elementary school classroom. The district just acquired over 300 laptops from DLA Disposition Services Computers for Learning program. Lore is a graduate of Minford High school and is working this summer as a Tech intern at the district, part of his duties this summer is to get the laptops ready for the students return in the fall.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Ryan StockhamVIRIN: 230707-O-D0441-007Stockham’s laptops were in Pennsylvania. He and Tim Coriell, assistant technology director for the district, rented a truck to retrieve them. “Tim goes on all of the trips with me,” Stockham said. “He does a lot of the heavy lifting of getting the computers configured and installed when we get them back to the district.  We couldn't do all we do with this program without him.”

Stockham said replacing the hard drives would cost the district about $100 per laptop.

"We're actually doing something a little different with these, something I've never done before," Stockham said. He said the recently acquired laptops have a built-in memory card reader. He purchased memory cards at $15 each, loaded ChromeOS onto the cards, slipped them into the SD slots, and turned the laptops into Chromebooks.

"The money that we save on not having to buy a lot of actual PCs or laptops, we're able to use to buy interactive smart boards and touch screens,” Stockham said. “Every classroom has all of that technology that we would definitely not be able to come close to affording if we weren't able to save money in other areas."

Stockham said DLA’s CFL program has made a significant difference in Minford Elementary School, providing students with valuable resources and empowering teachers to enhance education through technology.