Digital Equity Resources
Based on the December, 2017 results of our Clarity technology survey, 92% of our students have access to a computer or tablet device, and 97% have access to the Internet at home.
With the increasing use of digital curriculum resources and use of software for completion of homework, the Parkland School District wants to ensure ALL students have access to the resources they need to be successful in the completion of their coursework. That is why, through the Parkland Ready 1:1 program, each student in grades K-12 will have a personal learning device by September, 2019.
To address the lack of Internet access at home, Parkland has several initiatives in place to help provide students and parents with reliable wi-fi.
Parkland School District equipped with mobile wi-fi devices called Kajeets (http://www.kajeet.net) that students may check out from the media center using their student ID. Below are the guidelines for checkout:
- For school work only
- Filtered, must adhere to AUP
- No daily / monthly data limits
- For use by student who checked it out (no sharing w/other students)
In addition, the Parkland Community Library (http://www.parklandlibrary.org/) was recently renovated and has an updated Technology Center that houses computers with Internet access for public use. Directions to access their public wi-fi can be found here. The library is open Monday through Thursday (10 am to 9 pm; Friday (10 am to 5 pm); and Saturday (10 am to 5 pm, with summer hours until 2 pm). Additional information about the library hours can be found here.
On December 31 the FCC launched the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This longer-term program was created by Congress in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and replaces the Emergency Broadband Benefit program. This investment in broadband affordability will help ensure households can afford the internet connections they need for work, school, health care and more.
The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
Enrollment in the ACP is now open for households with at least one member qualifying under any of the following criteria:
- Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines;
- Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
- Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income program.
The district has also partnered with an organization called Everyoneon.org (http://www.everyoneon.org) that provides low cost Internet access to families that qualify. The criteria for qualification can be found on the web site by entering a zip code to find local participating telecom companies that support this initiative.