SAN ANTONIO — Jazmin Toscano, Jake Hernandez and Khloe Cedillo are juniors at Jefferson High School, but if you look at their homework you'd think otherwise.
"Most of my assignments are online," Hernandez said.
Cedillo agreed, saying her rigorous homework can take up to five hours.
The trio is part of Jefferson's International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. They have advanced coursework and, as of this week, they've been given the tools to match.
The 30 IB Diploma Program students have a shiny new way to do coursework: brand-new Chromebooks.
Chris Stanley oversees the program and has been trying to get students Chromebooks since it started.
"I treat every student like a college student, and part of that is making sure every student has a laptop—just like a college student," he said.
The new technology was provided by SAISD. Students will use them to access online textbooks and write lengthy research papers.
While these students can handle the tough workload, the same can't be said for their current technology at home.
"My computer is very out-of-date," Cedillo said. "Some websites I can't access, because that's how old it is."
Other students in the program explained that sharing a device with their family can interfere with their studies.
"My mom is a university student as well, and I wouldn't want to interrupt her work," Toscano said.
Students don't need to be at home to utilize their laptops. Stanley said he wanted to make sure all students can get online, even if they don't have internet access at home.
"We've invested in some hot spots, so we can have that available as well," he said.
Jefferson High School anticipates 90 students joining the diploma program next school year. Stanley said he hopes to equip those students with Chromebooks as well.