When Monroe County schools moved to online instruction in March, about 360 families in the district had a hard time connecting their kids to Wi-Fi.
LISTEN: Members Of MCCSC Reentry Committee Talk Plans For School This Fall
Superintendent Judy DeMuth says the district will use a CARES grant to put more hotspots on buses. The buses will drive into neighborhoods with low connectivity.
The federal CARES Act includes the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, to help schools – private and public – adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data shared by the Indiana Department of Education in May, MCCSC will receive an esimate of $1.9 million in CARES Act funding through the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund.
DeMuth says the district also plans to increase hotspots outside of MCCSC buildings, and to purchase hotspots for families who may need one in their home.
“As you can imagine, there’s a lot of dollars that are going there, but it’s well worth it, we need it and that’s how we’ll be using those grants, and hopefully we’ll get fully funded on most of those things,” she says.
She says despite these efforts, it’s likely some students who don’t live near a tower will still not be able to connect.
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