Harris to purchase 10K chromebooks for Philly schools

The 76ers and managing partner Josh Harris continue to recover nicely from an earlier public misstep.

Harris’ company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, recently reversed course and assured that all employees of the 76ers and New Jersey Devils would be paid fully during the coronavirus shutdown. By Monday, it was announced that Harris and co-managing-partner David Blitzer will finance the purchase of 10,000 Chromebook computers for students in the School District of Philadelphia. That donation will allow more students to study and learn from home while schools remain closed during the COVID-19 health crisis.

“We are ecstatic to learn that the Sixers are helping our students get computers in their homes so they can continue to learn during what is an unprecedented time for all of us,” said superintendent William R. Hite, Jr. in a statement. “Our hometown team has come through in such an amazing way, proving that they are the true MVPs. I know I speak for our students, families and staff when I thank them for their generosity.”

The retail price of a Chromebook is approximately $400. Even if the wholesale cost is substantially lower, Harris Blitzer’s donation is estimated to run seven figures.

The school district also said in the release that it would ensure “access to distance learning” for all 120,000 of its public-school students during the shutdown, and will move to supplement the computers already in use. The Board of

Education has voted to authorize up to $11 million for new computers.

The Harris Blitzer donation will be made through The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, which connects philanthropic interests with the public schools. Citing a 2019 School District survey, The Fund said that approximately half of Philadelphia’s public school students in Grades 3 through 12 have computer access at home.

“Josh Harris, David Blitzer and the entire Sixers organization have been great partners to the District over the years with the team’s focus on supporting the youth in our region,” said The Fund’s president and CEO, Donna Frisby Greenwood, in the statement. “We’re impressed that they stepped up this quickly to help purchase the computers that are urgently needed for our students.”