AP
In this file photo, a student takes a test on a computer.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020 | 11:40 p.m.
For some of the Clark County School District’s 320,000 students, the pandemic-forced move in mid-March to online learning was problematic because they lacked reliable devices and internet access.
With a new school year set to begin Aug. 24 exclusively online, the Clark County School Board took a needed step to help needy children get online by approving a $6.6 million spending package to purchase internet connections and mobile hotspots.
The board approved the allocation of up to $4.8 million for high speed internet service and up to $1.8 million for hotspots to get students online access. The allocation can provide 5,000 students hotspots and 20,000 students internet service for one year through Cox Communications.
Cox will also provide online safety software tools to block students from accessing inappropriate websites when they are connected through their devices, officials said.
In the rush to open the school year, Superintendent Jesus Jara said nearly 20,000 students need connectivity, according to data gathered in a survey of district families.
“Our principals and our staff have been doing a great job at really getting down and getting some of these numbers for us,” Jara said.
Additionally, CCSD is purchasing hotspots from Kajeet, a wireless provider operating on Verizon and Sprint networks.
The purchases will be made using monies in the general fund and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Grant, a federal award for educational agencies impacted by the coronavirus.
Families with students in the CCSD that need internet access or a device can call the resource center at 888-616-2476.
