State program provides free computers to Riverside School District

OLYMPIA – The Riverside School District on the east side of the state will receive more than 100 free computers, laptops and monitors Feb. 26 through a state program designed to aid students throughout Washington.

The district will receive 90 computers, eight laptops and 48 monitors through the long-running Computers for Kids program. Seven computers will go to Riverside Elementary and the rest of the equipment will go to Riverside High School.

The program redistributes at no charge computers and monitors for use by school districts across the state. Almost 7,000 computers were delivered to Washington schools in 2012 on both sides of the Cascades. All the equipment is made available through lease returns at the state Department of Enterprise Services and allocated by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Surplus Operations at Enterprise Services also sells merchandise that state agencies and local governments no longer use. Overall sales returned more than $12 million to state and local governments over the last three fiscal years. Another $4 million is projected for returns in the 2013 fiscal year.

On top of making reliable merchandise available to the public, Surplus Operations recycles or re-uses more than 99 percent of what it receives from state agencies, local government and school districts throughout the state. The program annually keeps about 1.6 million pounds of material — including metal, wood, electronics and paper — from going to landfills.

Surplus Operations also helped the state Liquor Control Board with the public auction last year of liquor store license rights following voter approval of a statewide initiative. The auction generated about $30 million.

Enterprise Services formed in October 2011 with the consolidation of all or parts of five state agencies. The department is responsible for a variety of support services for state government.

Follow Surplus Operations on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow Enterprise Services on Twitter.

Contact:
Jennifer Reynolds
(360) 407-8436
Jennifer.Reynolds@des.wa.gov