Today, as schools integrate digital tools into everyday learning, a new dimension of inequality has come into focus: access to technology. While some students benefit from personalized platforms and high-speed connectivity, others are still left behind, struggling to participate in a system that increasingly assumes digital access. The debate is no longer whether ed tech can improve education, but whether it will reach those who require it the most.

The integration of technology into classrooms has the potential to improve learning, but only if access is universal. In reality, disparities in broadband connectivity, device availability, and digital literacy continue, especially in rural and low-income regions.

A 2024 report by the indicates that 43% of adults earning less than $30,000 annually lack broadband access, and nearly half of households making under $50,000 struggle to afford internet services. 

This leads to a “homework gap” that disproportionately impacts students in excluded communities, limiting their ability to complete assignments and engage with digital learning resources.

Beyond infrastructure, the challenge extends to technology deployment. Schools with more resources can invest in training educators, curating high-quality digital content, and supporting students with tailored interventions. In contrast, under-resourced schools may lack the technical assistance and instructional direction required for effective ed tech integration. Without thoughtful implementation, technology risks becoming a superficial fix rather than a meaningful equalizer.

To bridge the gap, tech access should be treated as a foundational right, not a privilege. That means investing in affordable internet for all households, making sure every student has access to a reliable device, and providing the support systems that make digital learning meaningful and accessible.

Ed tech, when designed and deployed with equity in mind, can be an effective tool to close learning gaps. AI-powered and gamified learning platforms, for example, offer the ability to personalize content to meet students where they are, regardless of age, ability, or background. 

Adaptive platforms, for instance, are able to recognise when a student is behind and make real-time material adjustments. Through milestones and rewards, gamified modules can keep students motivated. This is especially helpful for students who might otherwise lose interest in a strict, one-size-fits-all approach. These features can have a particularly on classrooms with a variety of learning demands but a small number of teachers.

Too often, though, innovative learning technologies are piloted in affluent districts with the budget and infrastructure to support them, while the students who could benefit most remain out of reach. Without targeted strategies to expand access and usage, ed tech risks strengthening the very disparities it aims to address.

True equity means creating educational technology that represents the diversity of the learners themselves. This includes considering various cognitive styles, linguistic backgrounds, and cultural situations. Platforms should offer multilingual support, dyslexia-friendly fonts, sensory-sensitive modes for neurodiverse kids, and culturally relevant material. Without these design considerations, ed tech may inadvertently exclude the very students it aims to uplift, even when devices and internet access are available.

The answer lies not just in the tools themselves, but also in how and where they are deployed. Equity-focused implementation requires a commitment to both access and impact 鈥�- ensuring students can use the technology, and that the technology truly supports their learning journey.

 This is not a challenge educators can tackle alone. It requires coordinated action from policymakers, district leaders, nonprofit partners, and the tech community itself.

Public investment should prioritize infrastructure development in under-served areas, such as expanding broadband coverage and subsidizing device distribution. Equally important is funding for professional development, helping teachers integrate digital tools into their pedagogy in ways that are culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with academic goals.

At the policy level, educational equity must be embedded into procurement decisions, funding formulas, and accountability frameworks. Leaders must ask not just whether technology is available in schools, but whether it is making a measurable difference for students who have historically been left behind.

Collaboration across sectors is critical. Nonprofits can help support communities in navigating the digital learning landscape. Tech providers can design solutions with accessibility and inclusion built in from the start. And local governments can act as conveners 鈥� aligning resources, reducing duplication, and ensuring families are supported beyond the school day.

There is no silver bullet to educational inequity, but there is momentum. Across the country, districts are experimenting with community Wi-Fi programs, public-private partnerships, and learning models that prioritize flexibility and student engagement. These efforts prove that with the right intentions, innovation and inclusion can go hand in hand.

What鈥檚 needed now is sustained commitment. We should resist the temptation to view ed tech as a short-term fix or an optional add-on. Instead, it must be approached as a core element of a broader equity agenda, one that prioritizes student outcomes, not just new tools.

Ed tech holds enormous promise, but only if we build systems that ensure its promise reaches every student. That starts with recognizing that the digital divide is not just a tech problem, it鈥檚 an equity problem. And equity is something we must design for from the beginning.

When the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered schools in 2020, students were suddenly thrust into a world of online classes at home. That wasn鈥檛 an easy switch, even for affluent students with their own computers and internet service at home. 

But in high-poverty cities like Cleveland and Detroit, it was a full blown crisis with thousands of students lacking computers and any internet access.

Nearly half of families in the two cities had no broadband internet service 鈥�  strong connections to home devices such as computers, not just on mobile phones 鈥� making them the worst-connected cities in the U.S. in one ranking. Other high-poverty cities, including Baltimore, Memphis and Newark, were close behind.

Today, a little more than five years since the pandemic shut schools down, the crisis isn鈥檛 as immediate 鈥� schools are open after all 鈥� but structural issues remain. Connectivity rates have improved nationally from about 71% of homes having broadband service in 2019 to more than 76% in 2023, still far from everyone.

鈥漈he pandemic highlighted for federal and state government that we have an issue,鈥� said Charlotte Bewersdorff, vice president of community engagement of the a partnership between Michigan鈥檚 universities that has worked to improve internet access even before Covid hit. 鈥淎 lot of our work prior to that was trying to convince people that there was an issue. The pandemic made it undeniable.鈥�

Gains were greater in the cities that had the greatest need. Cleveland and Detroit each went from having nearly half of homes without broadband down to a third, according to U.S. Census data.

But now those gains are threatened.  

Most connectivity improvements were made in 2020 and 2021 鈥� at the height of the pandemic 鈥�  but have since stalled. A key federal emergency effort to help families be online by paying part of their monthly bill has ended. Some long-term improvements using Covid relief money are planned but have been slow to start. 

The programs are now in limbo as Congress has changed its focus and President Donald Trump ordered a pause in January on many infrastructure investments, including internet efforts with funding set aside in pandemic relief bills but hadn鈥檛 started work yet. There鈥檚 also which would benefit Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the Starlink satellite company and close advisor of Trump.

 鈥淭he initial agility and efforts to help everybody get connected lost steam as other programs and other problems emerged,鈥� said Johannes Bauer, the chief economist of the Federal Communications Commission in 2023 and 2024. 鈥淭here’s a risk that the gains that were made very early on are actually diminishing over time, and new programs haven’t yet filled that gap.鈥�

Providing internet access for all has long been a goal of digital equity advocates, though it has never been easy to achieve. There鈥檚 an infrastructure challenge: Homes need a service to connect to, which isn鈥檛 always the case. Families need to be able to afford it. They need computers to use it. And they need to know how,

All of these were hurdles when the pandemic hit, particularly for low-income areas.

Schools and nonprofits scrambled to hand out laptops and mobile hotspots. Some parked buses with wifi service in neighborhoods. Learning pods sprouted at churches, community centers or clubs like the Y.M.C.A. or Boys and Girls Clubs, where plexiglass dividers separated properly-spaced desks for students to take classes on just-acquired laptops.Club staff came to work every day while school staff stayed home.

Suddenly, 鈥渄igital equity鈥� was a focus of legislators and the federal government, which soon offered billions in grants to help families pay internet bills and to add fiber optic lines and other internet infrastructure to disconnected areas.

block by block to help target aid. All 50 states created digital equity plans to compete for grants and help connect and educate underserved groups. Many states have also submitted plans and won early approval for plans to connect rural areas.

But there are worries. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), created by Congress during the pandemic, gave a peak of 23 million homes $30 a month to reduce their internet bills, but Congress let the funding expire in 2024. And billions set aside for both rural and urban 

infrastructure and for internet education is also uncertain while the Trump administration picks new leaders to oversee grants and Republicans in Congress seek to change rules guiding them.

Beyond just pausing infrastructure projects overall, Trump鈥檚 orders to half spending on 鈥淒iversity, Equity and Inclusion鈥� in all parts of government threatens efforts to connect and train families under the Digital Equity Act, another pandemic response.

Cleveland and Detroit highlight the mixed impact of the pandemic on connectivity. The two cities remain the worst-connected cities in the U.S., but they have also seen the greatest improvements in connectivity rates the last few years, according to census data

Those cities each slashed the percentage of families with no broadband service in half –  from around 46% in each city in 2019 to about 23% today, according to Connect Your Community and 2023 data from the census. 

鈥淚t has gotten completely better,鈥� said Gloria Jones, director of the Boys and Girls Club near the King Kennedy public housing apartments in Cleveland. The club鈥檚 pandemic learning pod once drew  more than 30 students every day to do online lessons.

 鈥淲hen we first started out, there were kids that didn’t have any access,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat’s why we had to set up. Or their internet was running slow. If you鈥檝e got three kids in the house and y’all are trying to get on the same internet, it slows it down.鈥�

Today, students mostly use the club WiFi only for an online tutoring program the club provides. She said families seem to have found low-cost service, even if not at ideal bandwidth, often from cell phone companies.

The landscape has changed so much in Cleveland that the Cleveland Municipal School District, which had to scramble to buy its 35,000 students laptops and digital hotspots for the 2020-21 school year, has cut its hotspot program way back. The district gave hotspots to 12,000 students 鈥� about a third of the district鈥檚 enrollment 鈥� in 2023, but cut that in half to 6,000 by last spring because students weren鈥檛 using them for months at a time.

鈥淲e turned them off,鈥�  Curtis Timmons, the district鈥檚 Chief Information Officer, said as budget cuts were announced last spring. 鈥淚f you don’t use a hotspot that tells us something – that’s a waste of our money.鈥�

The need for hotspots will reduce further with the district now offering students free internet service from DigitalC, a unique non-profit the district has partnered with since 2020 that aims to provide low-cost broadband using wireless technology. It鈥檚 a plan that has caught the attention of connectivity experts, who could not point to another new, public鈥攑rivate partnership like it.

Using private donations and federal pandemic relief dollars from the city, DigitalC has nearly finished building a network across the city so it can offer 100 mbs service for $18 a month.

The school district, city and county housing authority all allowed the company to put transmission towers on school buildings to keep costs down. About 1,300 families with students in the district now use it for free internet.

Nichelle Montoney, guardian of two boys, 13 and 10, in the Cleveland school district said free service from DigitalC makes a big difference for her. She kept her internet service after ACP ended, but her $50 monthly bill from the cable company was hard to pay.

鈥淚 didn’t have a choice,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat bill barely got paid鈥hen you have to choose between paying the gas bill and the light bill. You pay just under the minimum requirement to put it towards the cable bill, so you can try to get just another 30 days and hope that it stays on. It was a struggle.鈥�

Other residents are still slow to sign on. The service has about 3,600 subscribers, out of about 90,000 households in its service area. DigitalC still aims to eventually have 22,500 homes subscribed, nearly half of those without internet service now.

Detroit also had major efforts to connect people. A partnership with the city, United Way and the Rocket Mortgage company, which is based in Detroit, rallied as 鈥淐onnect 313鈥� 鈥� named after the city鈥檚 area code 鈥� to provide training and low cost laptops and hotspots to people. The city also used pandemic relief money to 鈥� in libraries, community centers and non-profits around the city that remain open today for residents to access the internet.

It is also trying to add fiber optic cable to one neighborhood to improve connectivity there as a pilot project, but the .

And it boosted its connectivity numbers with a major drive with television and radio commercials in late 2023 to sign up more residents for ACP internet benefits. , but many more eligible families never took advantage.

鈥淚t was kind of like a last chance effort to show them (federal officials) this is a really big need, in the community,鈥� said Jenninfer Onwenu, a senior advisor in Detroit鈥檚 Digital Equity and Inclusion office. 鈥淭his is something that people were not aware of that they could be benefiting from. Imagine how many lives we could change by keeping this program in place. Unfortunately, that did not work out.鈥�

Republicans opposed extending ACP as a 鈥渨asteful鈥� part of a Democratic 鈥渟pending spree鈥�  because it was costing billions and some estimates showed that only about 20 percent of recipients added internet service because of ACP,while most just enjoyed a discount on service they already paid for.

Digital equity advocates worry, though, that new census data available this fall will show that families had to drop their service without ACP鈥檚 help. Some loss is likely, with major communications companies reporting subscriber losses last year they attribute to ACP鈥檚 end. Comcast, the nation’s largest internet provider, reported losing 87,000 subscribers in one quarter last year mainly because ACP expired.

John Horrigan of the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, a Chicago-area non-profit, and that ACP bill reductions kept 8.8 percent of households nationally online.

鈥淭he digital divide is not about being 鈥榦n鈥� or 鈥榦ff鈥� the network,鈥� Horrigan said. That framing makes it seem as if once a household is on, it has permanently hurdled the barrier that separates disconnection from connection…There is more uncertainty and churn in broadband at the low-income end of the market than some may appreciate.鈥�

At-risk families like these are who DigitalC in Cleveland is hoping to connect, though Detroit and other cities don鈥檛 have a similar backstop.

“Their safety net is being cut,鈥� said DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds. 鈥淚n the absence of that funding, locally, we have an answer.鈥�

Republicans in Congress are also opposing grants to states and communities under the pandemic-passed Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) for their focus on serving ethnic and racial minorities, both in who the projects will serve and who is hired to work on them. Such a race-based program is unconstitutional, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has charged.

U.S. House members have also raised concerns about the BEAD infrastructure program, which has states with plans ready to begin, but are now on hold. A House subcommittee blasted that program in a

鈥漈he Biden-Harris Administration saddled the BEAD program with regulations unrelated to broadband to appease left-wing interest groups,鈥� said Rep. Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican, the sub committee’s chairman. 鈥淭hese included technology preferences, burdensome labor rules, and climate change requirements, to name a few. 

He and others want to ditch BEAD鈥檚 old preference for fiber optic lines for a 鈥渢echnology-neutral鈥� approach that would allow the allotted $42 billion to also cover satellite projects.

Democrat Doris Matui of California immediately objected to what she called 鈥渟abotage鈥� of projects ready to begin.

鈥淩epublicans claim they’re just being technology neutral,鈥� the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee said. 鈥淏ut can we trust this when the Trump administration has given Elon Musk nearly unfettered authority to further his business interests by taking over government contracts and dismantling agencies regulating his companies?鈥�

Keynote speakers this year include of Harlem Children鈥檚 Zone, of Stanford University, who popularized the idea of 鈥済rowth mindset,鈥� and actor , who starred on Broadway as George Washington in Hamilton. Jackson, who has a child on the autism spectrum, will discuss how doctors, parents and advocates are working together to change the ways neurodivergent kids communicate and learn.

But one issue that looms larger than most in the imaginations of educators is artificial intelligence. This year, South by Southwest EDU is offering dozens of sessions exploring AI鈥檚 potential and pitfalls. To help guide the way, we鈥檝e scoured the schedule to highlight 18 of the most significant presenters, topics and panels: 

Monday, March 4:

: The New School鈥檚 Maya Georgieva looks at how AI is ushering in a new era of immersive experiences. Her talk explores worlds that blur the lines between the virtual and real, where human ingenuity converges with intelligent machines. Georgieva will spotlight the next generation of creators shaping immersive realities, sharing emerging practices and projects from her students as well as her innovation labs and design jams. .

: Educators have long sought a better way to demonstrate learning, adapt instruction and build student confidence. Now, advancements in machine learning, natural language processing and data analytics are creating new possibilities for finding out what students know. This session will explore the ways in which AI is rendering assessments invisible, reducing stress and anxiety for students while improving objectivity and generating actionable insights for educators. .

: Many high-pressure professions 鈥� pilots, doctors and professional athletes among others 鈥� have access to high-quality simulators to help them learn and improve their skills. Could teachers benefit from hours in a simulator before setting foot in a classroom? In this session featuring presenters from the Relay Graduate School of Education and Wharton Interactive at the University of Pennsylvania, panelists will discuss virtual classrooms they鈥檙e piloting. They鈥檒l also address the challenges, successes and possibilities of developing an AI-driven teaching simulator. .

: In just the first half of 2023, venture capital investors poured more than $40 billion into AI startups. Yet big questions loom about how these technologies may impact education and the world of work. How are education and workforce investors separating wheat from chaff? Hear from a trio of venture capital and impact investors as they share the trends they鈥檙e watching. .

: This session will look at the profound transformations in teaching taking place in classrooms that blend AI with tailored, competency-focused education. Laura Jeanne Penrod of Southwest Career and Technical Academy and Nevada鈥檚 2024 will explore AI’s role in enhancing rather than supplanting quality teaching 鈥� and what happens when schools embrace the human touch and educators鈥� emotional intelligence. .

: In this interactive workshop led by women leaders from the University of Texas at Austin and the Waco (Texas) Independent School District, participants will learn how to design effective lesson plans and syllabi that incorporate AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E to help prepare students to address society鈥檚 most pressing needs. .

: If we get AI in education right, it has the power to revolutionize how children learn. But if we get it wrong and fail to nourish children鈥檚 creativity 鈥� their ability to innovate, think critically and problem solve 鈥� we risk leaving them unprepared for a changing world. Creativity is the durable skill that AI cannot replace. And this panel, comprising educators and industry leaders, will explore the role we play in nurturing children鈥檚 innate creativity. .

: This panel, featuring early AI-in-education pioneers such as Amanda Bickerstaff, founder of AI for Education, Charles Foster, an AI researcher at Finetune Learning, and Ben Kornell,  co-founder of Edtech Insiders, will explore their journeys and what they consider the most exciting future opportunities 鈥� and important challenges 鈥� in this emerging space. .

Tuesday, March 5:

: AI鈥檚 continued adoption in schools raises concerns about bias, especially toward students of color. This session, hosted by Common Sense Education鈥檚 Jamie Nunez, will highlight practical ways AI tools impact engagement for students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. It will also address ethical concerns such as plagiarism and issues with facial recognition tools. And it will feature positive student experiences with AI and practical ways to ensure it remains inclusive. .

: In 2024, what defines “AI literacy”? And how can we promote it effectively in schools? Marc Cicchino, innovation director for the Northern Valley Regional High School District in northeastern New Jersey, shares insights on fostering AI literacy through tailored learning experiences and initiatives like the NJ AI Literacy Summit. As part of the session, Cicchino guides attendees through organizing their own summit. . 

: Come watch a live recording of The Cusp, a new podcast hosted by Work Shift鈥檚 Paul Fain, exploring AI鈥檚 potential to not only enhance how we develop skills and improve job quality but exacerbate inequalities in our education and workforce systems. Leaders from Learning Collider, MDRC and Burning Glass Institute will share their perspectives on how AI can reach learners and workers in innovative ways, bridging the gap to economic opportunity. .

: While a few school districts have embraced artificial intelligence, neither the technology companies creating the AI nor the governments regulating it have provided guidance on how to integrate the new tech into classrooms. This has left districts wondering how to integrate AI safely, ethically and equitably. This panel of TeachAI.org founders and advisory members will discuss why government and education leaders must align standards with the needs of an increasingly AI-driven world. The panel features Khan Academy鈥檚 Kristen DiCerbo, Kara McWilliams of ETS, Code.org and ISTE鈥檚 Joseph South. .

Wednesday, March 6:

: Just as artificial intelligence is gaining momentum in education, the early childhood education workforce is experiencing record levels of burnout. A recent survey found many educators say they鈥檙e more likely to remain in their roles if they have access to better support, including high-quality classroom tools and flexible professional development. Could we harness AI to empower our early childhood workforce? This panel, led by the National Association for the Education of Young Children鈥檚 Stanford Accelerator for Learning, will explore the possibilities and challenges of AI in early childhood education. .

Perhaps no one in education needs to adapt more to AI than principals. This discussion with a principal and consultants from IDEO, The Leadership Academy and the Aspen Institute will explore how principals can lead during this time of swift change. Participants will come away with tangible suggestions for fostering innovation, adaptability and self-awareness. .

: This interactive session will give educators an opportunity to explore how they might use AI to advance their work, regardless of their background or technical expertise. 鈥婰ed by project managers and leadership development specialists with Teach For America, it will help participants create their own AI tools, build a deeper understanding of generative AI and develop a better sense of its promises and risks. .

Thursday, March 7: 

: This panel discussion, led by The Education Trust鈥檚 Dia Bryant and Khan Academy鈥檚 Kristen DiCerbo, will look at whether emerging uses of AI in schools could create a new digital divide. It will explore the intersection of AI and education equity and AI鈥檚 impact on students of color, as well as those from low-income backgrounds. The session will offer steps that educators and policymakers can take to ensure that schools factor in the culture and neurodiversity of students. . 

: This session, led by Alex Tsado of Alliance4ai, will explore what鈥檚 required to engage diverse learners to become emerging AI leaders. It鈥檒l also explore how educators can help them build tech and leadership skills and promote an 鈥淎I-for-good鈥� worldview. And it鈥檒l examine the challenges that Black communities face in AI development 鈥� and propose research and solutions that can be scaled easily. .

: This panel brings together of the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office of Educational Technology and Jeremy of Digital Promise for an interactive conversation about generative AI that will integrate two distinctive and powerful vantage points 鈥� policy and research. They鈥檒l reflect on the listening sessions they鈥檝e conducted, talk about policy and share insights from major research initiatives that address the efficacy, equity and ethics of generative AI. .

Chris Riback: Dr. King, thank you for coming by the studio.

Dr. Kiesha King: Yes, you’re welcome. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Chris Riback: Digital divide, it’s obviously a phrase that we all hear. We heard it a lot even more during COVID. Give a definition for it. What’s the context? How do you define it?

Dr. Kiesha King: It’s really looking at all the students across the country that lack internet access and access to technology so that they can do all of the wonderful things that they’re more affluent peers have access to do.

Chris Riback: In reading some of your materials, I interpreted it as really coming down to those two things, the devices and the access. Those are the two main inputs to the divide.

Dr. Kiesha King: It is. And when you see the direction that even our federal funding sources have gone with the emergency connectivity fund, if students don’t have the devices, they can’t access the resources. If they don’t have the connectivity outside of the traditional school day, they still lack the access. So giving them the connectivity, pairing that with the device, of course, the device that’s adequate for what they’re hoping to do.

Chris Riback: Yes.

Dr. Kiesha King: Right? Enough screen, real estate, a keyboard potentially, internet access that’s unlimited and high speed. Pairing all those things together gives students an opportunity to advance in a technologically required future.

Chris Riback: Required. Everything is digital.

Dr. Kiesha King: It is.

Chris Riback: It is. What is your T-Mobile affiliated role and what is Project 10Million?

Dr. Kiesha King: So for T-Mobile, I’m the Senior National Education Administrator, which means that I lead all of our education strategy for K12 and higher education across the country. It’s not by chance, though. I have been an educator, so I’m a forever teacher, principal. I was a director of online learning in a school district of almost 70,000 students and about 85, 90% free or reduced lunch. And so when you think about dealing with those type of disparities every single day, it’s the same type of mindset and passion that has to go into the work to bridge a digital divide for the same students and communities that are seeking to serve them.

Chris Riback: And what is Project 10Million?

Dr. Kiesha King: Project 10Million is a phenomenal commitment to bridge the digital divide. T-Mobile said-

Chris Riback: $10.7 billion.

Dr. Kiesha King: $10.7 billion commitment. And so it is geared towards helping eligible student households with a free hotspot and five years of connectivity, 100 gigabytes per year, high speed internet access so that they can access critical education resources and Google a random thought here and there.

Chris Riback: Anytime we need an answer, we go to Google.

Dr. Kiesha King: We do.

Chris Riback: What is the strategy and what are some of the tactics? You mentioned a couple of them. This has a real strategy behind it.

Dr. Kiesha King: Yes. A lot has changed since the pandemic. The pandemic put us in a situation where we had to be super reactionary, and education has always been a data-driven organization. It’s been a data-driven business. And so now we’re in a situation where we’re able to kind of sit back and go back to the drawing board and figure out what are our best next steps with regards to students, and we don’t have to be reactionary. We can actually figure it out together.

Chris Riback: What I also liked in reading about the program, and you correct me if I have this wrong, is you’re doing this work in the homes with the devices with that a hundred gigs of internet access, but I believe you’re also working with the educators, and I believe that that means as well, re-imagining the role of the curriculum with instruction and technology equity really working with the educators. Is that part of what you’re doing?

Dr. Kiesha King: Absolutely. And it’s something I did quite a bit in a school district. Anytime you’re trying to incorporate technology and connectivity, you want to make sure students know what to do with those devices. And so who best to do that than educators and the school districts that serve the kids, right? And so T-Mobile is here to partner with them and figure out how we can get it right and how they can get it right on behalf of their students.

Chris Riback: And this is active, I believe in some school districts already?

Dr. Kiesha King: It is. So a great example is Jefferson County Public Schools, we’re working very closely with-

Chris Riback: That’s in Kentucky.

Dr. Kiesha King: It is. Yes. We’re working very closely with our superintendent, Dr. Polio and their Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Belcher and the two of them have put together a phenomenal longer term strategy to bridge the digital divide. So they not only are saying, Hey, we want connectivity for our kids, but we want the connectivity built into the device that we’re handing our students. So they have over 70,000 students today that have a Chromebook that’s SIM embedded, so that when they take that device anywhere, anywhere, whether they’re on the side of the soccer field or they’re waiting for mom to get off work, or they’re just sitting on a long commute, a long bus ride, or a long car ride, they have their device with the internet access built in.

Chris Riback: It’s like a mobile phone, but it’s a Chromebook.

Dr. Kiesha King: Exactly.

Chris Riback: And we all know that everything is up-to-date in Kansas City. Tell me what’s happening there?

Dr. Kiesha King: Yes, Kansas City is doing some amazing work. We’re working really closely there with their superintendent and chief academic officer, and they have decided to put an iPad in the hands of all of their students. So their students have a connected iPad and they’ve created an ecosystem to support student success across the school district.

Chris Riback: Wow. A lot going on.

Dr. Kiesha King: Yes.

Chris Riback: What’s next?

Dr. Kiesha King: Oh goodness. That’s a great question. Well, we’ve only connected 5.3 million students, so we got to get to 10 million. We got a long way to go. I think in addition to that though, this is just a great time to sit with school district leaders, whether it’s through an advisory council or some other type of integrated opportunity, just like NBCDI now.

Chris Riback: Yes.

Dr. Kiesha King: Right? This is a great time for us to come together and talk about what does the future of education look like. We want to be a part of that conversation. I know I do.

Chris Riback: Well, there’s a lot of work to be done, unfortunately. I wish there weren’t, but I’m glad that you’re on it. Dr. King-

Dr. Kiesha King: Thank you so much.

Chris Riback: … thank you for coming by the studio.

Dr. Kiesha King: Thank you. I’m excited to be a part of the work.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona made stops in Kansas and Missouri Tuesday as part of a multi-state tour, labeling internet access 鈥渢he new pencil鈥� as he discussed the government鈥檚 efforts to expand broadband connectivity.

During events in Overland Park, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, Cardona discussed a program that subsidizes internet access and community engagement. While speaking to superintendents and education leaders in Kansas, he declared lack of access the 鈥渆quity issue of our moment.鈥�

鈥淭his president is going to put the digital divide in your rearview mirror, and not just through talk but through action,鈥� he said.

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The Kansas City leg of the tour began at the central resource branch of the Johnson County Library in Overland Park, Kansas, where Cardona was joined by Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The pair crashed a meeting where teachers were learning about the FCC鈥檚 Affordable Connectivity Program, a benefit providing up to $30 per month for qualifying households to pay their internet bills and a one-time $100 discount to purchase a device.

鈥淚n order for students to achieve at high levels, (internet access) is a necessity,鈥� Cardona told educators.

The FCC tracks internet connectivity nationwide and maps where residents have access to various speeds of broadband connections. shows five spots in Missouri and 10 spots in Kansas where residents have no access to the internet. The spots appear to be the size of some of Missouri鈥檚 smallest towns.

There are many areas throughout both Missouri and Kansas where less than 20% of residents have broadband access.

Rosenworcel said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021 should also address this issue, with money earmarked for states to use on their needs.

鈥淲e鈥檙e now committed to building this infrastructure everywhere as a result of (the Bipartisan Infrastructure) law,鈥� she told reporters after the Overland Park event.

To discuss the 鈥渄igital divide,鈥� Cardona and Rosenworcel spoke to school superintendents and education leaders from corporate and nonprofit companies.

The superintendents represented some of Kansas鈥� largest school districts, all speaking of connectivity initiatives.

Michelle Hubbard, superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District, said her school district sent a questionnaire to students, and 93% responded that they had internet access.

鈥淭hat is just not true outside of where we sit right now,鈥� Hubbard said, alluding to the wealth in the surrounding community.

Blue Valley School District Superintendent Tonya Merrigan said her district鈥檚 counselors and social workers are trained to ask about student鈥檚 internet connectivity because some families were too 鈥渁fraid鈥� or 鈥渆mbarrassed鈥� to ask for help.

Local programs are reaching out to families about the federal program, said Kansas City Digital Drive managing director Aaron Deacon.

Rosenworcel hopes that communication from community partners will help form trust around the Affordable Connectivity Program to reach those who may not otherwise sign up for the federal program.

鈥淲e know when people hear about it locally from teachers, from their principals, from somebody who runs an institution in their own backyard, they鈥檙e more likely to trust it and sign up,鈥� she said to reporters.

Effective communication with families was the focus of the secretary鈥檚 stop in northeast Kansas City where he chatted in a gathering at the Mattie Rhodes Center, a community center with a multicultural focus.

Cardona walked off his tour bus and into the center鈥檚 parking lot for a series of photo opportunities and informal meetings. He head-butted a soccer ball with teenage musicians and ate paletas with U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver before sitting down with parents.

Cleaver and Missouri鈥檚 Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven joined him at the table with parents.

Cardona said the parents鈥� concerns ranged from their children鈥檚 safety to their desire for their kids to be challenged in the classroom.

鈥淲e need to support our public schools; we need to support our parents, our educators,鈥� he said. 鈥淯ltimately, all that goes to our students.鈥�

Talking to reporters, he referenced part of the proverb 鈥渋t takes a village,鈥� as he pointed toward the gathering of kids, parents and educators in the Mattie Rhodes parking lot.

Cardona鈥檚 bus tour, named 鈥淩aise the Bar,鈥� is titled after his desire to raise student achievement, he said.

鈥淥ur students should be leading the world right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e rank somewhere in the 30s compared to other countries. That鈥檚 unacceptable.鈥�

The United States鈥� ranked 21st in the latest (2018) 鈥嬧�婸rogramme for International Student Assessment, a global test of student achievement.

Cardona is scheduled to make stops in St. Louis as he continues to Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on and .

Pennsylvania is set to receive the first installment of federal funding to improve and expand broadband internet access across the commonwealth, Gov. Tom Wolf said last week.

State and federal officials joined Wolf in the Governor鈥檚 Reception room of the state Capitol on Thursday to announce that $6.6 million from President Joe Biden鈥檚 鈥淚nternet for All鈥� initiative is on its way to Pennsylvania.

The federal infusion is the first installment of more than $100 million Pennsylvania is set to receive for projects that expand and improve high-speed internet access in urban and rural areas of the commonwealth.

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鈥淲e really need to do a good job of making sure every corner of Pennsylvania is connected in a robust way to the internet,鈥� Wolf, who leaves office in January, said. 鈥淭his $6.6 million is the beginning of a generational change waiting for Pennsylvanians.鈥�

The funds, and broadband projects statewide, are overseen by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, created by Wolf in 2021 as a independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development.

In mid-November, the authority released its for spending the money to expand broadband access in Pennsylvania.

鈥淲ith guidance from the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority, distribution will be carefully targeted for guaranteed progress,鈥� Wolf said.

Wolf said that the lack of affordable and accessible broadband is hindering Pennsylvania鈥檚 economic growth.

鈥淭he lack of consistent, affordable, quality statewide broadband keeps children from learning. It keeps businesses from growing, it keeps the job market for workers much more limited than it should be, and it reduces medical care options for all of us,鈥� Wolf said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the biggest challenges holding Pennsylvania鈥檚 economy back right now.鈥�

Western Beaver County School District and Blackhawk School District Superintendent Dr. Rob Postupac echoed Wolf鈥檚 comments, adding that 鈥渇amilies living without broadband face significant barriers in educational opportunities, employment opportunities and access to basic needs such as healthcare through telemedicine.鈥�

鈥淔or too long now, those in our rural communities have had to live in digital darkness,鈥� Postupac said. 鈥淭he time has come to tackle this issue.鈥�

Earlier this week, the Wolf administration鈥檚 broadband authority asked Pennsylvanians to review Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maps, which are used in accessibility and infrastructure projects, for accuracy before they are finalized in mid-January.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John Micek for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on and .

Because Miranda Meza couldn鈥檛 afford a faster connection, the family was constantly at odds balancing the demands of online work and schooling. 

鈥淚 can’t be here trying to fix the internet or tell them to get on a camera when I’m on an important work call trying to make money for us to live,鈥� said Miranda Meza, a single mother of three boys.

Miranda Meza鈥檚 home internet constraints are part of a larger problem affecting thousands of low-income families in Los Angeles County, according to a from the California Community Foundation and Digital Equity LA coalition.

The report found Charter Communications, which operates Spectrum 鈥� the monopoly internet  provider serving 96.7% of Los Angeles county residents 鈥� consistently reserves its best offers for residents in wealthier neighborhoods, leaving low-income families paying more for the same or slower service.

For children nationwide, especially those from low-income families, the pandemic reinforced the crisis and scale of the as students with inequitable access to affordable and reliable internet scrambled to do .

After remote learning began in spring 2020, families resorted to extreme solutions to make sure their school age children had reliable WiFi. In August 2020 a Twitter photo of two young girls from Northern California sitting on the ground of a with their laptops for a connection and doing their online homework went viral. (Note: Spectrum does not provide service to this part of California and was not the family鈥檚 internet provider)

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite clear from the data and organizations we work with and families in these communities that there are discriminatory pricing practices from Spectrum,鈥� said Shayna Englin, the report鈥檚 lead author and director of the California Community Foundation鈥檚 .

鈥淭he way services are delivered鈥nd the way that differs from community to community has real implications for how effective all of our public interventions are going to be in terms of closing the digital divide,鈥� Englin said. 

The report found a resident in a neighborhood with a poverty rate of more than 30% would pay $70 per month for Spectrum鈥檚 standard internet service compared to a resident in a neighborhood with a poverty rate of less than 15% that would pay about $54 per month.

Similar service from AT&T was split 鈥渁bout evenly鈥� between high and low poverty neighborhoods for $65 per month, and Frontier was available for those in low poverty neighborhoods for $40 per month, according to the report.

Because of the inferior internet in Pomona, Miranda Meza said that the demand among low-income families for the free hotspots offered by the school was so high that she had to wait to get one for her sons.

鈥淚 tried to explain to their teachers that our internet isn鈥檛 the best and that鈥檚 when they would tell us to go to the school and get a hotspot,鈥� Miranda Meza said. 鈥淚 remember that we had to wait until the next round of hotspots towards the end of the school year which caused conflict with their teachers.鈥�

The limits to reliable internet access also exacerbated Miranda Meza’s children’s learning loss 鈥� especially for her son with a disability.

鈥淚n order for me to keep up with my son鈥檚 mental health he goes to online group therapy,鈥� Miranda Meza said. 鈥淪o us having internet issues has been a great challenge because he鈥檚 not anywhere near where he鈥檚 supposed to be.鈥�

Englin said lack of reliable, high-quality internet could have lifelong consequences for low-income children.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to extend very far out to understand what the implications are for those kids who are going to have the most learning loss,鈥� Englin said. 鈥淜ids who fall behind when they’re in elementary school have difficulty catching up, and it has a lifetime impact in terms of what their opportunities are and what their economic mobility looks like.鈥�

Spectrum denounced the report鈥檚 鈥渇alse narrative鈥� with 鈥渃herry-picked comparisons of short-term discounts,鈥� said spokesperson Dennis Johnson in an emailed statement.

鈥淏y ignoring the fact that Spectrum has connected millions of households through the Affordability Connectivity Plan, or the fact that Spectrum doesn鈥檛 require contracts, the [California Community] Foundation undermines both its own legitimacy and the efforts by Spectrum and so many others in the community to help deliver equitable access to high-speed and reliable internet connections,鈥� Johnson wrote.

Johnson also criticized the California Community Foundation for making 鈥渘o attempt to work with Spectrum鈥resumably because its methodology and claims are misleading and easily challenged.鈥�

The $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program, part of the President Joe Biden signed almost a year ago, provides a monthly $30 broadband benefit for low-income families and a one-time $100 voucher for a device. Almost three-fourths of eligible families live in a community where internet service providers are offering free high-speed service for those who qualify. 

But distrust in government and a lengthy application are hampering efforts to increase enrollment, according to the report from EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit that helps make internet service more affordable for students. Currently, only 13 million of the 51.6 million households eligible have enrolled. 

The Federal Communications Commission, which runs the program, asks for a 鈥渉eavy amount of documentation鈥� from applicants, said Evan Marwell, CEO of the organization. That means many don鈥檛 complete the process and almost half of the applications are rejected due to incorrect documentation.

鈥淓ven though the goal is to close the digital divide, the [agency鈥檚] number one priority is to make sure there is no waste, fraud and abuse in the system,鈥� Marwell said.

Officials have reason to be cautious. Families can apply for the program if a child in the family is the only one eligible. But last month, the agency鈥檚 inspector general released findings on in which internet service providers used the name, birthdate and social security number of the same 4-year-old child to apply for the benefit over 1,000 times and claimed over $365,000 in reimbursements. The case wasn鈥檛 isolated, according to the press release.

The FCC has been working with organizations in states to promote the benefit and launched in August to reach families who already receive housing subsidies. Paloma Perez, press secretary for Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said the agency seeks feedback from eligible users and is 鈥渃ontinually exploring ways to improve the application and enrollment process based on their input.鈥� 

Officials have also recruited 40,000 鈥渙utreach partners鈥� and hosted more than 700 online and in-person local events to promote the program, she said.

School districts, Marwell added, play a vital role in simplifying the process by informing families whose children qualify for free or reduced-price meals that they automatically qualify for the internet discount.

鈥淲ith one fell swoop, they can overcome that document issue,鈥� he said.

He pointed to districts in and , Massachusetts, as examples of strong efforts to inform families about the program. As a result, enrollment in those two cities is two times the statewide participation rate of 19%. Cities reaching at least 40% enrollment include Buffalo, Cincinnati and Detroit. 

Another barrier to participation is that the , which can take at least a half hour to complete, isn鈥檛 mobile-friendly. A lot of families who lack broadband at home are only accessing the internet through their phones, Marwell said. And it鈥檚 only available in English and Spanish.

鈥淭he site hasn鈥檛 been designed with the people who most need it in mind,鈥� Marwell said. 

But Perez said the agency has enhanced the application to make applying by phone more user-friendly

Along with the report, EducationSuperHighway launched a new that tells parents which documents to gather before applying. The states with higher participation rates, like Ohio, Kentucky and Louisiana, Marwell added, have been better about sending letters to families receiving nutrition assistance to let them know they qualify 

Marwell applauded major internet companies like and for offering $30 plans so families don鈥檛 have to pay additional fees.

The remaining challenge is that companies have been more effective at getting the word out to existing customers who qualify than to those who don鈥檛 have access.

States and cities, 鈥渞eally need to do the work to get to the unconnected,鈥� Marwell said. 鈥淚f all you have is access on your phone, you鈥檙e unconnected.鈥�

鈥淐ommunity reform by nature does not have to be protracted or slow, it can be quick,鈥� said Carvalho in his at the event titled 鈥淚magine the Possibilities鈥� where he committed to 鈥渟wift and unapologetic鈥� change to how LAUSD operates. 

 鈥淚t is with great pride that I welcome all of you to a new school year,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore importantly, welcome to a new day.鈥� 

Carvalho promised everything from $7 billion in facilities and classroom upgrades to telehealth in schools (via a robot named Pepper) and new magnet programs in a speech that was both encouraging and rooted in real challenges the district faces.

Carvalho acknowledged LAUSD鈥檚 declining enrollment, widespread student mental health struggles and concerns about the district鈥檚 long-term financial outlook.

鈥淭here are very few urban superintendents who know how to do it as well as he 鈥� that is he lays out what are the challenges facing the district and 鈥榳hat are we going to do about it?鈥� 鈥� said Dr. Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education. 鈥淗e struck a good balance between a sobering message of where we are and some inspiration.鈥�

At the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, there was certainly an air of inspiration and flair.

Before Carvalho spoke, performances from students and student groups, including a marching band and mariachi band, filled the room with proud notes. 

When Carvalho took to the stage, he did not initially speak. Instead, the spotlight shone on him while he took slow steps across the stage, arms crossed over his chest. His walk was accompanied by swelling violins, crescendoing from a video intended to galvanize the audience about the importance of education. 

Throughout his speech 鈥� crammed with pop culture references (top contenders: Kylie Jenner鈥檚 three minute plane ride and Bridgerton season two) 鈥� the @LAUSDSup Twitter account pushed out tweets with main points from the address. 

Some Twitter users expressed qualms in replies, heavily juxtaposing the celebratory tone of the event. 

鈥淭eachers feel discourage[d] because they are used and taken advantage of by parents and the district,鈥� Twitter user @JeanettePanthen said in response to this Tweet.

Others felt more promise from Carvalho鈥檚 words, especially when he walked through the five 鈥減illars鈥� 鈥� 鈥渁cademic excellence, joy and wellness, engagement and collaboration, operational effectiveness and investing in staff 鈥� in the . 

Advocates offered generally positive reactions to the speech, but also wanted more details about how Carvalho鈥檚 lofty goals would be achieved. 

鈥淭he speech clearly conveyed vision and goals,鈥� said Ana Ponce, executive director of GPSN in a statement. 鈥� How this becomes actualized will be important. We are looking forward to the details of implementation, especially implementation at full scale across the whole district.鈥� 

Here are seven key takeaways Carvalho communicated in his speech and at a press conference: 

1. Education will start early 鈥�

Carvalho asserted his prioritization of early education, saying LAUSD will transition from a district with a 鈥淜-12 possibility鈥� to a 鈥淏-14 promise,鈥� birth through at least two years of post-secondary school.

Starting in October the 鈥淏orn to Learn鈥� campaign will match more than 100,000 newborns with welcome packages and an LAUSD graduation date, so parents will know when to enroll their child. 

This fall, there鈥檚 also a plan for 360 new Universal Transitional Kindergarten classrooms to open up, with spots for up to 19,000 4-year-olds. 

2. 鈥� and continue past high school

In-person courses for college credit will be available for 225 recently-graduated students. Adult education vocational and apprenticeship preparation programs will soon be launched as well, including a nursing program producing 15 graduates annually. 

3. Closing the Digital Divide

Through a $50 million investment, LAUSD will bring high speed internet to every student and family that needs it, Carvalho told reporters 鈥� a plan rolled out in May that advocates have expressed apprehension about. The investment targets more than 60,000 students who don鈥檛 have access to high speed internet at home. 

On the commute to school, children will stay connected, too. Over the summer, Wi-Fi was installed on all buses, a move intended to help over 30,000 students maximize the time they can spend studying and completing homework. 

4. What will the district do about the 鈥渓ost children?鈥�

LAUSD is grappling with high rates of chronic absenteeism, dipping enrollment and an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 students on LAUSD enrollment rosters. 

Carvalho said in the week before school starts on Aug. 15, he, his staff and thousands of other individuals will call and knock on doors to get unenrolled and chronically absent children signed up for the school year. The district is also launching a campaign called iAttend, which will focus on promoting high attendance by eliminating barriers to attending school.

Fifteen schools will now offer transportation for students living less than five miles from school, a distance that has not been included in past bus routes. Mobile laundry services, so families can have clean clothes, will be available in each district one to four times a month.

5. Boosting parent engagement and ties to LAUSD

A new Parent Academy will serve 100,000 parents with webinars and resources to equip them with skills and information to support their children. The Adult Education Virtual Academy will also serve about 1,000 students, including working parents, who may not be able to attend in-person classes.  

6. LAUSD staff will get additional support 

Carvalho said there will be a focus on recruitment, development and retention of staff. Through a partnership with the LA County Office of Education, staff will be provided with free counseling services via telehealth, a 24/7 hotline, referrals, and one-on-one therapy. 

The contract with United Teachers Los Angeles, the district鈥檚 teachers union, expired at the end of June. Carvalho said he hopes to soon reach a new contract agreement 鈥� although he declined to give an estimate for when. 

Twitter users responded to Carvalho鈥檚 tweets from the event with more pressure on contract negotiations:  

In a response to one Carvalho tweet, user @writersgrind wrote: 鈥淭hanks for the pep talk. I would love a contract that includes a competitive salary, smaller class sizes 鈥� Quality teachers will continue to leave the classroom because we have nothing left to give in these conditions.鈥�

7. Upgrades to facilities and classrooms 鈥� including eco-friendly changes

Carvalho announced more than $7 billion to upgrade over 2,000 classrooms and nearly 1,000 schools. Projects are either in design or already under construction, providing earthquake safety, accessibility, and 鈥�21st century upgrades.鈥�

A $50 million investment will go toward environmental and sustainability upgrades at approximately 20 schools identified, through a 鈥済reening index,鈥� with upgrades such new playgrounds and shading. 

This article is part of a collaboration between 蜜桃影视 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Cari Spencer is a senior at the University of Southern Califo

When Los Angeles district schools went remote at the start of the pandemic, the school system鈥檚 digital divide was thrown into sharp relief 鈥� making clear many low income students lacked reliable Wi-Fi at home. Unable to connect made it nearly impossible for those students to attend online classes or complete school work. 

In May, LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced the partnership with AT&T, providing Wi-Fi 鈥渋n the initial stage鈥� for about 60,000 students. The new initiative uses short-term federal funding to cover nearly all of the cost. Carvalho said federal money would likely cover a second year for participating students.

About lack broadband service, LAUSD has estimated. And, according to a survey conducted last year, 84 percent of families, most low income, had issues accessing a good internet connection at home. 

鈥淭his is a really big deal that LAUSD is doing this,鈥� said Executive Director from Great Public Schools Now Ana Ponce. 鈥淯nfortunately鈥esources are finite.鈥�

鈥淭here is a chance that LAUSD may not have the funds to provide this beyond a year or two,鈥� Ponce said, 鈥渟o what is the long term solution for those 90,000 (students)?鈥�

Ponce also raised issues about using hotspots distributed by LAUSD.

鈥淗otspots just aren’t great in general, they have drop off,鈥� she said. They don’t work for people when you have a lot of people accessing the same hotspot. And then literally in some communities, hotspots just don’t work.鈥� 

Evelyn Aleman, founder of Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education said length of time covered by the partnership is 鈥渘ot enough. Low-income communities have been severely impacted by the pandemic.鈥�

She said one of her clients, a mother supporting her low income family of three, 鈥渨as paying $80 for the internet. She had to get rid of the service because she just couldn鈥檛 afford it. One year simply isn鈥檛 enough for parents like her.鈥�

LAUSD district 7 board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin, who sponsored a resolution last year calling on LAUSD to make sure all students had access to Wi-Fi, commended the district and AT&T for the initiative, but expressed concern families might not know how to install the internet in their homes. 

 鈥淕overnment鈥� should be providing the Internet similar to how we provide public utilities like water and electricity,鈥� said Ortiz Franklin. 鈥淢y hope is… we can continue to not only pay for this service鈥� but we can also get it covered by the federal government.鈥�

This article is part of a collaboration between 蜜桃影视 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

Veronica Sierra is a junior pursuing a journalism degree at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She was born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela; and moved to California in 2015 where she continued high school, graduating in 2020.

The report, released today by the National Center for Education Statistics, compiles data collected from the 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey. Conducted annually as a series of questionnaires, the survey offers a comprehensive review of schooling in America. Some 76,000 teachers and nearly 13,000 principals were included in the sample for the 鈥渇irst-look鈥� study on teaching and learning conditions during the tumultuous spring of 2020. 

The report鈥檚 most striking findings highlight the gap in home internet connectivity between students enrolled in different kinds of schools. While 58 percent of private school principals reported that all of their students had access to the internet at home during this period, only 4 percent of public school principals could say the same.

The flipside of that disparity was no less stark: At the same moment that schools were closing and classes migrating to Zoom and other online platforms, 61 percent of public school principals said they鈥檇 sent wireless hotspots home with students, compared with just 9 percent of private school principals. 

In a statement accompanying the release, NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr commended the 鈥渆xtraordinary efforts鈥� of school leaders to bring virtual learning opportunities to their students.

鈥淢any principals sent hotspots and other devices to students鈥� homes, worked directly with internet providers, or offered spaces where students could safely access free Wi-Fi so that students had the opportunity to learn in this unprecedented time,鈥� Carr said.

But in spite of the massive effort expended to ease the switch to online learning, the technological divide seems to have been reflected in the early weeks of COVID-era instruction. Although a slightly larger percentage of public school faculty told pollsters that their schools had transitioned to distance-learning formats (77 percent, vs. 73 percent of private school teachers), they were only about half as likely 鈥� 32 percent vs. 61 percent 鈥� to report having real-time interactions with over three-quarters of their students in the spring of 2020. 

While 9 percent of private school teachers said they had no such interactions during that time, 13 percent of public school teachers did.

Geographic distinctions were also clear in the data. Among public school teachers, those employed in urban and suburban areas were comparatively more likely (86 percent and 87 percent, respectively) to say that all or some of their classes had moved online that spring than those teaching in towns or rural areas (75 percent and 77 percent, respectively).

While about half of city and suburban principals said they鈥檇 worked with internet providers to offer more home internet access to families, just 42 percent of principals in towns and 36 percent of those in rural areas agreed.

Other key takeaways from the report:

• Private school teachers were also significantly more likely to agree, either 鈥渟lightly鈥� or 鈥渟trongly,鈥� that they had access to the resources necessary to be effective in their teaching (76 percent, vs. only 61 percent of public school teachers). 
• More than twice as many private school teachers 鈥渟trongly鈥� agreed with that claim than public school teachers (37 percent vs. 17 percent).
• Interaction gaps were also apparent between teachers at charter schools vs. those at traditional public schools. In the first few months of the pandemic, 55 percent of charter school teachers said they taught real-time lessons to students who could participate through video or audio interaction; only 46 percent of district teachers said the same. 
• Charter school teachers were also somewhat more likely to report holding scheduled sessions with groups of students, offering one-on-one sessions, and convening office hours than were district school faculty.

The towers, which stand 60-to-80 feet tall, have been erected by the school district at  Dunbar High School, Morningside Middle School, Rosemont Middle School and Eastern Hills High School. 

One-quarter of students most in need of internet access have been connected. The remaining 75% of students will get internet service when phase two of the project begins in December. Zip codes that are underserved will be targeted, according to the district. 

The pandemic and its effects, including the rise of virtual learning, exposed the digital divide, particularly in communities of color. Those students lack wifi access, exacerbating the already existing racial achievement gap in many schools across the country. 

The towers are meant to help combat that problem in Fort Worth where an estimated 60,000 residents lack internet access. 

鈥淥ur towers are up and functional,鈥� said Chief Information Officer Marlon Shears in a statement. 鈥淲e are continuing to deploy service by getting modems to students in need. We also have begun the process to put up more towers, extending service into additional areas.鈥�

Voters approved funding the project in November 2020 through the Tax Ratification Election (TRE).

According to the 2019 Worst Connected Cities from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Fort Worth ranked No. 245 out of 625 cities in terms of connectivity. The report, based on data from the 2019 American Community Survey, found that 11% of  Fort Worth households did not have broadband and nearly 28% of households lacked a cable, fiber optic line or DSL. This was an improvement over 2018, when 31% of households did not have cable, fiber optic or DSL. 

NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer said 36 million U.S. households don’t have a home broadband subscription. Of the 36 million, 26 million are in urban areas. 

鈥淪o we know we have an infrastructure availability issue in rural areas,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd what we know in urban areas is even when the infrastructure is there, people don’t always subscribe. And why don’t people subscribe? It’s expensive, digital literacy issues, trust issues about getting stuck with large bills. 

鈥淪o there needs to be alternative solutions,鈥� Siefer continued. 鈥淎nd what some school districts are doing … is they’ve come up with an alternative solution, which is, you know what, we’re just going to build it ourselves.鈥�

That鈥檚 what Fort Worth is doing.  

Clay Robison, spokesman for Texas State Teachers Association, noted that most students in Texas are no longer learning remotely, but are back in classrooms. 

鈥淭he new Fort Worth towers should benefit students and teachers who are still involved in remote instruction,鈥� he said, adding students learn best with a teacher in the classroom.  

鈥淚f the Fort Worth district continues to provide wifi access. This will help students with their homework and studies at home and, we hope, help narrow the digital divide between low-income and more-fortunate students,鈥� he said, later adding: 鈥淢ost school districts were scrambling after the pandemic broke out to provide digital access to students who needed it. Some districts were more successful than others.鈥�

Previously, she had almost never missed school. A doctor鈥檚 appointment here, a sick day there, but save for those rare occasions, she was always in class.

Her parents, immigrants from Mexico, had instilled in her a belief in the value of education as a path to a better life.

鈥淪chool was one of my priorities,鈥� the California teenager, now in eighth grade, told 蜜桃影视.

But when COVID-19 forced instruction to move online, her absences began to rack up 鈥� sometimes due to a faulty laptop charger and sometimes due to her teachers failing to mark her present even when she had logged in, Miron said. Her grades fell from B鈥檚 and C鈥檚 to D鈥檚 and F鈥檚.

Miron鈥檚 mother, Yosadara Carbajal, speaking through a translator, told 蜜桃影视 that other families had experienced similar attendance problems, but when she raised the issue to school leaders in November 2020, they did not resolve the discrepancies. Pomona Unified School District, however, insisted that they maintained a lenient policy through remote learning toward parents vouching for their children鈥檚 attendance on Zoom and initiated multiple measures to re-engage disconnected students, including door-knocking and free one-on-one tutoring, which, as of this school year, Miron now receives.

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Across the country, the obstacles posed by remote learning may have triggered a disproportionate jump in absenteeism among English learners like Miron, new data indicate, despite the group having sported some of the nationwide before the pandemic compared to other learners.

Ten out of 11 school systems that provided data in response to public record requests filed by 蜜桃影视 reported surges in chronic absenteeism among English learners in the 2020-21 school year. In all but one district, the percent change in absenteeism was higher among ELs than the overall student population.

For example:

鈼� Chronic absenteeism among all 197,000 students in Houston increased 88 percent over the average rates for 2017-18 and 2018-19, but more than doubled 鈥� climbing 158 percent 鈥� among English learners.

鈼� In Centennial School District in Pennsylvania, the overall absenteeism rate barely nudged upward, increasing just 2.8 percent, while the share of English learners missing a critical mass of classes jumped 42 percent.

鈼� In an especially severe case, the rate of chronic absenteeism among all students in Huntsville School District in Arkansas dropped off slightly while the rate for English learners increased more than four fold.

鈥淭he pandemic hit immigrant families very, very hard,鈥� Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, deputy director of , a coalition that advocates for English learners in the Golden State, told 蜜桃影视.

When the restaurant where Miron鈥檚 father worked closed due to COVID last year, her family was without its primary source of income. They launched a business over Instagram as a way to bring in some cash.

鈥淸School] was no longer our primary concern. We had to do anything to survive 鈥� to pay bills, rent, everything, before anything else,鈥� said Carbajal.

But despite the disruption, the middle schooler was lucky: She had the WiFi and devices that she needed for remote learning, save for a finicky charger. She also speaks English confidently, although her school has not yet re-classified her out of English learner courses.

Many other English learners over the past 18 months, however, have , juggled child care duties and for platforms like Google Classroom or Zoom, according to reports through the pandemic. Still, COVID-19鈥檚 full impact on this vulnerable population has remained blurry.

With finalized nationwide counts of chronic absenteeism from last year still not expected for up to three months, these new figures offer a sneak peak into long-awaited data that helps bring the picture into clearer focus.

Students are typically defined as chronically absent when they miss more than 10 percent of school days, a benchmark for the typical 180-day school year that researchers say determines whether students have lost so much instruction that they may be academically at risk. Missed school days predict academic difficulties such as trouble reading in third grade, lower grades in middle school and higher dropout rates in high school.

蜜桃影视 requested absenteeism data from 30 districts nationwide, including the largest school systems and a sample of randomly selected suburban and rural districts. Some, such as New York City and Douglas County, Colorado, had not yet finished compiling absences and a handful, including Hillsborough County, Florida, were non-responsive. But 13 districts fulfilled the request, including 11 that delivered data disaggregated by factors including race, income, disability and English learner status.

The increased share of English learners missing class may reflect a breakdown in schools鈥� communication with non-English speaking families through the pandemic, said Melissa Castillo, Arizona associate state superintendent of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

鈥淲hen we shut schools down, the challenge in communicating was taken to another whole level,鈥� she told 蜜桃影视.

The immigrant families Castillo works with are resilient and believe strongly in the value of education, she said. But with many lacking internet and devices, remote learning was very difficult.

鈥淪chools weren鈥檛 equipped,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t was a structural issue.鈥�

In the two rural districts in the sample, jumps in chronic absenteeism among English learners were especially pronounced, more than doubling in Firebaugh-Las Deltas, a rural district between Fresno and Salinas, California and more than quadrupling in Huntsville, Arkansas 鈥� likely reflecting a double disadvantage created by simultaneous linguistic and digital divides.

The Arkansas district did not have an explanation for the troubling pattern. Superintendent Audra Kimball wrote to 蜜桃影视, 鈥淚 don’t feel like I have enough knowledge 鈥� to give you an accurate answer.鈥� She did not answer whether the district was aware of the high levels of absenteeism among English learners in the district before 蜜桃影视鈥檚 inquiries.

Neither Houston ISD nor Centennial School District responded to 蜜桃影视鈥檚 requests for comment on their disproportionate increases in English learners missing class.

Contrary to initial reports on absenteeism through the pandemic that have found , the numbers delivered to 蜜桃影视 tell a story that鈥檚 less clean cut. Five out of the 13 districts actually reported small drops in overall chronic absence, but often with glaring differences between sub-groups. On top of jumps in the rate of English learners missing class, Black and low-income students tended to also have greater increases in absenteeism. White and Asian students often saw less severe jumps 鈥� and sometimes dips 鈥� in their rates.

Students with disabilities, who had some of the of chronic absenteeism nationwide before the pandemic, saw 2020-21 rates that remained elevated, but did not represent as large of a proportional increase as that of English learners or low-income students. In fact, five out of 11 districts reported drops in the share of students with disabilities persistently missing class.

鈥淎 student with ADHD might have found it easier to focus (during online learning) or a student with autism might have found it easier to interact with their educators,鈥� Lindsay Jones, president and CEO of the , wrote in an email to 蜜桃影视. 鈥淣ow, we need to better understand what worked for the students who found remote learning easier or more engaging.鈥�

Further patterns included elevated rates of absenteeism among younger learners. Although persistently missing school was much more common among high schoolers before the pandemic, some districts saw the pattern shift to younger grades during remote school, perhaps due to elementary schoolers struggling with Zoom when they lacked proper supervision.

In Miami-Dade County Schools, for example, which did not disaggregate their data by student group but did break down results by age, chronic absenteeism increased 6 percentage points among the district鈥檚 110,000 elementary school students and 11 percentage points among its nearly 52,000 middle school students. It also increased 7 percentage points among its 101,000 high school students, but that jump represented a proportionally smaller increase due to higher pre-pandemic absence rates.

Inconsistencies in how schools took attendance through the pandemic confound direct district-to-district comparisons. Some schools, like Huntsville High School, told 蜜桃影视 they did not track daily attendance among virtual learners because instruction was asynchronous, effectively lowering the pool of students who could be considered chronically absent, while others, like Olathe Public Schools in Kansas, said they took note of exactly how many online learners had missed class each day.

Chandler Unified School District in Arizona, the only school system in the dataset where proportional increases in chronic absenteeism were higher among the overall student body than among English learners, said differences in how attendance was coded for online versus in-person learners may have impacted the numbers. Districts also differed in whether they counted quarantined students as absent, whether they relied on families to proactively mark their kids present and whether webcams were a requirement for online learning.

鈥淎 lot fell through the cracks鈥� in attendance counts last year, Paige Kowalski, executive vice president of the , told 蜜桃影视.

In districts where students missed less class last year than before the pandemic, Executive Director Hedy Chang worries that the numbers might tell a misleading story. During remote learning, it was often hard to tell whether students were truly engaged in class, especially when cameras were off.

鈥淭he data from last year masked, often, a loss of instructional time,鈥� she told 蜜桃影视.

In Gwinnett County Public Schools outside Atlanta, where about half of all 181,000 students learned remotely last year and chronic absenteeism fell roughly 1 percentage point below pre-pandemic levels, the reasons for the drop 鈥� and exactly what that reduction represents 鈥� remain unclear.

鈥淲e would just be guessing at this point,鈥� admitted district spokesperson Bernard Watson. He did point out, however, that teachers worked hard to engage students, driving through young people鈥檚 neighborhoods during lockdown for socially distanced greetings.

But even in Gwinnett, as overall absenteeism trended downward, days of missed schooling among English learners ticked up. To re-engage those students, experts say schools need to be proactive in connecting with their families.

鈥淩each out in 10 different ways: texts, phone calls, home visits, flyers, direct mail 鈥� all the ways you can think of,鈥� suggested Conor Williams, senior fellow at and a frequent contributor at 蜜桃影视. 鈥淭hen once you make contact, ask鈥� 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the best way to [stay] in touch with you?鈥欌��

A recent U.S. Department of Education study from Providence, Rhode Island supports this approach, finding that texts, calls and mentorship could , although the data were collected before the pandemic. And last year, sending teachers door-to-door proved an effective 鈥� if labor-intensive 鈥� strategy to coax students back to class in districts across the country.

To mark the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a category to which , the White House on Sept. 13 launched an all-new to address the 鈥渟ystemic causes鈥� of barriers to Latino achievement. It鈥檚 not yet clear how much the initiative will focus on English learners, who make up only about a quarter of the wider Latino student population in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Education granted waivers for states鈥� 2019-20 federal data reporting requirements, but for 2020-21, the it鈥檚 requiring all states to . Those numbers will likely be available by spring 2022, a department spokesperson told 蜜桃影视.

As the Biden administration underscores the importance of a safe return to in-person school, many families of English learners feel trepidation about sending their children back into classrooms, said Rosario Quiroz Villarreal, policy director at The New Teacher Project. They, like any family, want to understand schools鈥� COVID safety protocols, especially because many live with older relatives, she explained, but oftentimes schools鈥� translation of these protocols can be lacking.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exclusion by omission,鈥� the specialist on immigrant education told 蜜桃影视.

In a school year already riddled by tens of thousands of student and staff quarantines, and as students no longer have the convenience of rolling out of bed and clicking into Zoom, researchers are worried there may be even more students missing class in 2021-22 鈥� and not just English learners.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hearing about huge increases in chronic absenteeism in many of the districts that we鈥檙e speaking to,鈥� said Chang, of Attendance Works. Oakland, California, for example, which publishes real-time data, has already seen the share of persistently missing students jump from .

鈥淲e’re going to have to really expand our personalized outreach and supports to families to make sure that their kids can get access to make up for whatever they lost,鈥� said Chang.

Miron, in Pomona, is among the students who went back to in-person learning this fall, and her case underscores the importance of returning English learners to classrooms. Last year, she said, she 鈥渨asn鈥檛 really learning anything online.鈥� But now that she has returned in person, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a complete change for the better,鈥� her mother reports. The teenager agrees.

鈥溾�嬧�婭 feel like I’m actually learning something right now,鈥� she said.

Editorial Fellow Marianna McMurdock contributed to this report.

Lead image: New data exclusive to 蜜桃影视 show that English learners saw disproportionate surges in the rate at which they missed class during the pandemic. (鈥嬧�婮ohn Moore/Getty Images)

But the narrow, 45-day window for districts to apply comes in the middle of the summer as leaders are scrambling to prepare for a new school year and face a host of unknowns.

鈥淚 think a lot of schools are going to say, 鈥榃e can鈥檛 do it,鈥欌�� said Evan Marwell, CEO of nonprofit Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit working to improve at-home broadband service for students.

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If they don鈥檛 apply for the new , part of the American Rescue Plan, districts could miss out on critical funding at a time when demand for remote learning options this fall is increasing. While most say they鈥檙e committed to fully reopening, concerns about rising COVID-19 cases are prompting more parents to push for virtual learning. The question is whether students 鈥� especially those in lower-income homes 鈥� will still have to contend with glitchy Zoom sessions or getting kicked off line in the middle of submitting assignments.

Home internet access has increased substantially in recent years, but 11 percent of families still depend on mobile devices for service, according to released last month from New America and Rutgers University. Among those with at-home broadband service, more than half described their service as too slow.

A by the Consortium for School Networking, a professional group for district technology leaders, showed that almost three-quarters of respondents said they plan to apply for the new federal funds. But only 170 members took the survey. A spokeswoman for the Federal Communications Commission, which runs the program, said the agency doesn鈥檛 have data on how many districts have applied so far. Christine Fox, senior director of external relations at the Consortium, added that some districts are waiting for a second application window, but the FCC said there鈥檚 no guarantee there will be one.

鈥楥OVID numbers increasing鈥�

Arkansas is among the states where some districts are applying for the technology fund and seeing a growing demand for remote learning. Applications from districts that want to offer virtual academies have been pouring into the education department. In mid-June, Don Benton, assistant commissioner for research and technology, had received 125 requests. By last week, most of those had been approved, with at least another 75 pending.

Benton expected as much, with 鈥淐OVID numbers increasing 鈥� due the abysmal number of people getting vaccinated and taking the vaccination, social distancing, and precautions seriously.鈥� Less than half of the state鈥檚 vaccine-eligible population has had one dose, according to .

In other parts of the country, many districts decided to continue offering virtual learning to accommodate parent demand 鈥� even before COVID cases began to rise again. showed two-thirds of the nation鈥檚 top districts will offer virtual academies, and the Austin Independent School District in Texas, even its virtual learning program for elementary students outside the district.

The Harrison School District in northwest Arkansas is among those putting final touches on a connectivity fund application and planning to use the money for more hotspots.

Susan Gilley, the district鈥檚 executive director of federal programs, said she鈥檚 most concerned about students having reliable internet and those 鈥渢hat live so remotely that even cellular Wi-Fi is unavailable.鈥� The district is allowing remote learning for third grade and above.

The 2,700-student district supplied 100 families with hotspots last school year and plans to increase that to 1,000, Gilley said. The district also hopes to purchase 1,100 devices for students and outfit its entire fleet of 37 buses with Wi-Fi routers, up from eight last year.

But some experts want districts to think beyond devices.

鈥淒istricts for the most part have plenty of tools already,鈥� said Joseph South, chief learning officer at the International Society for Technology in Education.

The uncertainty about reopening means districts need to be ready to adapt to changing situations, he said. Even if schools don鈥檛 close completely this fall because of positive case rates, there have already been examples of students being .

Successful models, South said, 鈥渞equire an approach where technology is being used face-to-face in ways that are effective each day, but that also lay a foundation for a shift to more reliance on the technology if face-to-face engagement has to be curtailed.鈥�

Benton, in Arkansas, added that if districts are going to allow remote learning, he鈥檇 like them to give parents better information on how to keep students at home on track. A from the University of Missouri showed that the transition to remote learning put particular stress on Black families who often lacked reliable internet and the technological know-how to keep students connected.

鈥淲e can have the best technology, teachers and tools available, but without quality family engagement, we are missing a huge piece for student success,鈥� Benton said.

鈥楴ot all hotspots are equal鈥�

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is similar to an existing internet discount program for schools and libraries, known as E-Rate. Funds can cover the cost of devices, hotspots and routers on Wi-Fi-enabled buses. Larger districts with technology departments might be in a better position to develop strong plans and meet the program鈥檚 requirements, Marwell said. But others might just buy more hotspots because that鈥檚 easier than negotiating a plan with an internet provider to provide service to students鈥� homes.

In general, hotspots are only as good as the surrounding cell service, meaning they provide spotty connections in a lot of rural areas and often aren鈥檛 strong enough for multiple family members to be online at one time. Wired connections, linked to fiber-optic cable, are faster and more reliable, but many communities still don鈥檛 have service. That鈥檚 one need the infrastructure bill, which the Senate was expected to pass Tuesday, would address.

Hotspots 鈥渨orked great for some students,鈥� Marwell said, 鈥渂ut that didn鈥檛 work well for a lot of students.鈥�

After a year in which some students had no face-to-face learning, researchers have a better handle on where the nation鈥檚 broadband infrastructure fell short in meeting the needs of families with multiple children learning at home.

As the nation transitioned to remote work and learning, complaints to the FCCskyrocketed, according to a recent Carnegie Mellon University . Most users complained that providers offered faster 鈥渄ownstream鈥� service 鈥� the ability to download files or videos 鈥� than the 鈥渦pstream鈥� capabilities needed to submit files like school assignments.

鈥淭he implications for [internet service providers] are obvious,鈥� the authors wrote. 鈥淓ven after COVID-19 has been tamed, we will probably see more people working and going to school from home than before the pandemic.鈥� The authors said providers will have to reconsider the speed customers need to upload data 鈥渙r risk becoming less competitive.鈥�

Companies marketing internet solutions to districts are also trying to address families鈥� frustrations with unreliable service. Last month, Kajeet 鈥� known for enabling school buses to blast Wi-Fi into neighborhoods with limited broadband 鈥� launched its new , a fixed connection suitable for households with multiple family members online.

Michael Flood, Kajeet鈥檚 senior vice president for education and general manager, added that hotspots are still a better solution for students who aren鈥檛 always learning at home. 鈥淣ot all hotspots are equal,鈥� he said, adding that some are five times as fast as the ones many districts purchased and distributed last year.

In Congress, Democrats in the House and Senate are hoping to turn the temporary Emergency Connectivity Fund into a five-year, $40 billion program. The proposed could turn up as future legislation under the $3.5 trillion Democrats unveiled Monday.

For now, districts are trying to comply with the fine print for the new program. That includes estimating how many students need devices or internet service.

Another requirement is that districts can鈥檛 use the funds to provide devices or broadband to students who have been served under another state or federal program, such as last year鈥檚 relief funds. In fact, in some districts where students already had devices, officials used those earlier funds to pay for at-home internet. That鈥檚 one reason why they鈥檙e waiting for a second application window as their needs this year become clearer.

The connectivity fund 鈥渋s an off-shoot of a program that has a history of being tight on rules and regulations,鈥� Marwell said, referring to E-Rate. 鈥淭he last thing a school wants to do is spend a million on home broadband and find out they didn鈥檛 follow these rules.鈥�

When the pandemic shut down schools in March, it created a new urgency to narrow the digital gap in the U.S. as millions of to participate in remote learning because they didn鈥檛 have internet access at home. It also reinforced the reality that the divide doesn鈥檛 just exist between rural and urban communities, but also within America鈥檚 largest cities. Some lack reliable connection in New York City, for example; in Chicago, don鈥檛 have broadband, according to data published at the start of the pandemic.

As many local governments have scrambled to secure internet access for children in virtual school, some policies could last past the pandemic. One popular approach in cities like Washington, D.C., and Chicago has been providing low-cost or to families who can鈥檛 afford a broadband subscription, and the tech devices to go with them. Some measures are currently set up to , while others, like Chicago鈥檚, will continue for several years. Recognizing that the digital divide will persist after the pandemic, digital inclusion advocates say there is a need for more permanent solutions.

One approach that鈥檚 gained traction is for local communities to play a direct role in providing internet service 鈥� in many cases by building their own or relying on their own infrastructure.

鈥淭he options in front of them looking at the affordability barrier were to pay for existing service 鈥� cellular through hotspot, or wireline 鈥� or build something,鈥� says Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. 鈥淎nd I think the the folks who went with the build-it solution are the ones thinking, 鈥楾his problem isn鈥檛 going away after the pandemic.鈥欌��

Municipal broadband

Establishing a municipal network to cover an entire city isn鈥檛 new; Chattanooga, Tennessee, was the first to accomplish this in 2010. The local government installed its own fiber-optic cables on streetlights across the city, serving not just residents but also businesses that were than was previously available. But the city-run initiative set off both legislative and that have barred Chattanooga from expanding its network to neighboring jurisdictions 鈥� and muted the movement to bring similar ideas to other U.S. cities.

As of 2020, have laws that deter or even prohibit local governments and communities from establishing their own networks, according to the group Broadband Now. They鈥檙e in large part the result of lobbying from commercial providers who argue the laws are necessary to prevent unfair competition. Siefer says they continue to restrict communities from connecting everyone in need.

This year in a number of cities, the pandemic has inspired some narrower versions of municipal broadband that get around these restrictions, focused on creating 鈥渁ffordable networks鈥� that specifically target low-income households. Several of these were born out of the immediate need to bridge the homework gap.

鈥淧re-Covid there were at most a handful of networks being built to address affordability; now, we鈥檝e started informally keeping a list and we鈥檙e over 30,鈥� Siefer says. 鈥淭he phenomena of setting up a network for that reason, in that way, is new.鈥�

The concept is simple: 鈥淏asically try to offer free connectivity in areas that are heavily populated by people who cannot afford the connections that are available,鈥� says Chris Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. The methodology varies, but often, these solutions aim to set up a system that can address the affordability barrier well beyond the pandemic.

In some cases, they rely on infrastructure the city has already built out. Chattanooga, for example, to provide low-income students with free internet access after the pandemic began.

San Antonio, Texas, where more than lack in-home internet access, also relied on pre-existing infrastructure. The municipally owned utility had years ago built an extensive network of fiber-optic cables that delivered internet to government buildings and community centers like schools and libraries, and when those centers closed 鈥� leaving underserved students in the lurch 鈥� the city decided to use $27 million in CARES Act funds to to the homes of some 20,000 students across the city鈥檚 50 most vulnerable neighborhoods.

Antennas from those school buildings will send internet signals to receivers fixed to students鈥� homes and apartment buildings where the city鈥檚 fiber cables don鈥檛 reach. The initial phase of the project focuses on six of those neighborhoods near two high schools where more than half of the student population live in homes without internet access. Over the next eight months to two years, the city plans complete the expansion to all 50 neighborhoods.

Because of a Texas law that restricts local government telecom networks, the city likely wouldn鈥檛 be able to expand the service to a broader population . 鈥淚n San Antonio, that network is only available to students because there鈥檚 a state law that says that the city can鈥檛 be in competition with commercial providers,鈥� says Siefer.

The wireless approach

While equipping homes with wireline broadband is typically thought of as the gold standard, few cities have the infrastructure ready. In the absence of an extensive network of municipal-owned cables, some communities are establishing wireless networks to connect low-income students to free or low-cost internet.

One such initiative is the Every1online program in the Pittsburgh metro area, a 12-month pilot project aiming to connect at least 450 families and low-income school children to high-quality internet, for free. Spearheaded by the nonprofit internet provider Meta Mesh Wireless Communities, with partners like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the program uses antennas mounted on top of tall structures to beam internet signals to the homes of residents in Homewood 鈥� one of the city鈥檚 poorer neighborhoods 鈥� and of low-income school children in the nearby New Kensington and Coraopolis school districts.

Connecting communities through mesh wireless networks isn鈥檛 new, but Every1online is one of the new initiatives born out of the pandemic to target low-income families. After the , school districts have the option to purchase service for students in need 鈥� a model that organizers hope to . (Pennsylvania鈥檚 law prohibiting city governments from setting up their own network does not apply to nonprofits.) Rather than connect individual households to the internet, the nonprofit hopes to partner with school districts and other community groups in underserved neighborhoods to set up a network for multiple families in a concentrated area.

In a newer strategy made possible only recently, a handful of school districts from California to Texas to Utah have begun leveraging a band of wireless spectrum known as Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) to establish high-speed wireless networks for students. Unlike other bands that are allocated for private use, the Federal Communications Commission made some of the CBRS band publicly available in early 2020 so anyone, including local governments, can access it. It also sits in a sweet spot on the spectrum range that makes it useful for offering relatively high-speed connection with enough coverage for a small area.

One of the first to test the technology is the Fontana Unified School District in California, where more than half of students lack reliable internet at home. In April, the district a five-year initiative to build out a private wireless network for some 36,000 students. Partnering with the network infrastructure provider Crown Castle Fiber, the district will install about 400 鈥渁ccess points鈥� that will transmit signals to thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots near students鈥� homes, which can then be used to connect school-provided devices to the internet.

The initiative does come with a hefty price tag of $40 million, with Crown Castle paying most of the upfront costs. But in an with New America, Fontana superintendent Randal Bassett called it more cost-effective than paying for subscription service from an existing carrier. In the long run, the infrastructure can be expanded to cover more households and be used for other city services such as digitally connected infrastructure.

Experts like Mitchell and Doug Brake, director of broadband and spectrum policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, say they are cautiously optimistic about the potentials of CBRS. It could be a game changer for municipalities, but it鈥檚 a finite resource with a lot of uncertainty about how it will scale.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting technology, but it’s also not clear to me that there is enough spectrum yet to be able to ensure that you can provide high-quality service,鈥� Mitchell says. adding that students living in an apartment building could experience different speeds than a peer living in a single-family home. 鈥淥ne of the things I really hope the FCC does is create more spectrum that would be available to be shared in this way because I would worry that in many cities, it might be exhausted and congested very quickly.鈥�

Other options

Brake says it might be redundant and costly for some cities, particularly those that are cash-strapped, to build their own system using CBRS when there are other private-sector providers with already-established infrastructure. It 鈥渙pens up new opportunities, so I am excited to see how it plays out,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 think a good tool to be building an entire network on, especially where there鈥檚 such a competitive market already providing services.鈥�

He suggests other options ranging from using Wi-Fi hotspots, as around closed libraries or on school buses, or partnering with private providers, as Chicago has done.

How communities choose to bridge the gap ultimately depends on their needs and resources. With schools fully remote and an estimated lacking internet access in Chicago, the city chose to partner with major broadband providers to fill in the immense gap 鈥� though not before conducting an extensive survey on who needed access the most. The $50 million Chicago Connected initiative, which launched in June, is expected to provide low-income students free internet for at least the next four years, with funding from the CARES Act and, more crucially, from a handful of private donors. The money will be paid directly to Comcast and RCN so that families will not be charged, .

Some major cable companies have also started partnering with cities and offering to low-income customers, though families and officials have .

What鈥檚 next

It鈥檚 no surprise that distance learning has prompted local governments to take more aggressive action on digital access, but going forward, expanding current solutions to a broader community will be a monumental task that will require more involvement from the federal government.

Congress has made digital equity a higher priority since the pandemic began. In December, it included $3.2 billion in its Covid relief package to fund a $50-per-month emergency broadband subsidy for those laid off or furloughed during the pandemic 鈥� part of the connectivity and infrastructure.

But Siefer says solutions need to address all barriers, including the uneven access to devices and the lack of digital literacy among some communities. Advocates are not only calling for more funding, but also more informational and political support. would be a good start, says Siefer: 鈥淔or example, there is no widespread data on the cost of broadband service in the U.S. because internet service providers don’t want their data out there. But the FCC should be collecting it and making it publicly available so that communities can make informed choices when they’re figuring out how to address the problem.鈥�

The effort also calls for policy reforms, in particular one that would prohibit states from restricting municipal networks and other community initiatives. In 2019, the introduced in the House of Representatives sought to do just that, but has not been debated. With a new administration, and new control of Congress by Democrats 鈥� as well as the appointment of senior FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who鈥檚 been vocal about digital inequality, as the agency鈥檚 new acting chairman 鈥� there is cause for cautious optimism among advocates.

For their part, commercial carriers, too, are looking to address the gaps. Mobile carriers T-Mobile and Verizon are looking to enter the home broadband market. Both companies offer limited home internet service use their wireless 4G networks, which they advertise as being fast enough to be cheaper alternatives to cable internet. So far, coverage is spotty. Both are also working to bring the highly coveted and blazing fast 5G service to homes, with T-Mobile planning to focus its initial rollout .

Such plans still leave some digital inclusion advocates skeptical about relying on the private sector to bridge the divide. 鈥淢y questions would be, will there be data caps and what鈥檚 the price point?鈥� says Siefer. She points to Starlink, a satellite internet service from Elon Musk鈥檚 Space X that was nearly $900 million in December from the FCC to boost service to rural residents. (Former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai touted the awards as the 鈥渟ingle largest step ever taken to bridge the digital divide.鈥�) The upfront cost for a subscription 鈥� $500 for the equipment and $99 a month for service.

鈥淢ight that change later? Yes. Might T-Mobile, Verizon and the rest of them come up with some other great solutions later? Yes,鈥� Siefer says. 鈥淏ut until these things are real, people are suffering and there need to be solutions now.鈥�

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