Muroc District receives donation

Rio Tinto US Borax gives $200,000 for new Chromebooks

NORTH EDWARDS — Rio Tinto US Borax donated $200,000 to Muroc Joint Unified School District for the purchase of 900 new Chromebook tablets that will support students at home during distance learning.

The donation is part of Rio Tinto US Borax’s partnership with the District to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on education for students and support academic perseverance in eastern Kern County.

The District moved to 100% distance learning for all students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, due to the ongoing pandemic. The District serves more than 1,900 students in the communities of Boron, Desert Lakes, North Edwards, as well as Edwards Air Force Base.

“Our partnership with Rio Tinto has allowed us to provide new Chromebooks to our students across this district. This helps us ensure equal access to education for all our students,” Muroc Superintendent Kevin Cordes said in a statement.

Rio Tinto US Borax General Manager Amanda Smith said they are privileged to partner with the Muroc Joint Unified School District in their efforts to deliver equitable and accessible education to all their students.

“We are excited about the opportunity to harness technology to support education resilience and

we look forward to checking back in with the students and teachers to see the benefits this can bring over the course of the year,” she said.

Since the beginning of the year, Rio Tinto US Borax has been working in partnership with local community organizations on COVID-19 initiatives across California, contributing more than $40,000 to support food resilience, distance learning, and vulnerable people and families.

In response to reduced availability of sanitation supplies, Rio Tinto technicians also produced hand sanitizer directly at the Boron site.