State grants enable fiber-optic broadband upgrades for California schools

GovTech.com reports that California schools are getting federal funding help with broadband infrastructure upgrades.

State grants are currently providing the last step needed to connect an additional 63,000 students to the state's education network. Reporting for GovTech, Doane Yawger of California's Merced Sun-Star newspaper writes:

Four area schools will benefit from part of $27 million awarded to 227 California campuses to help enhance their broadband infrastructure, according to the state Department of Education.

El Nido and Plainsburg elementary schools, Romero Elementary School in Santa Nella and Lake Don Pedro Elementary School in Mariposa County are getting Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grants from the state. They are intended to help isolated schools administer the new Smarter Balance state achievement tests.

Rae Ann Jimenez, El Nido superintendent-principal, called the state grant a huge step in the right direction for her district 15 miles south of Merced. They applied for funding last fall.

“Our students deserve to be connected to the outside world,” Jimenez said. “We will get better connectivity to the outside through fiber optics and internal hardware connections so eventually we can move to one-to-one computer learning. It’s expensive to advance. We are taking it one step at a time.”

Full story: California Schools to Get Help with Broadband Infrastructure (govtech.com)