Rolling Wi-Fi Zones : School Buses as Tools for Digital Equity
By Michael Flood
As we reflect on COVID-19 and its impacts on the transportation community , two lessons emerge : first – the growing need for digital equity , and second – the dedication of the transportation community to supporting students regardless of the challenges .
While digital equity has been an issue for decades , the disparity has never been so pronounced . According to a report from Common Sense Media and Boston Consulting Group released in summer 2020 , 15-16 million K-12 students are without adequate Internet access – a vast majority of which are members of racial and / or ethnic minorities . And as we become an increasingly digital society , this learning gap will meld into an opportunities and successes gap . Kajeet launched the SmartBus™ school bus Wi-Fi solution in 2015 to help schools and districts extend the classroom and bridge the digital divide . We have seen adoption grow and develop over time , and as I write this , there are currently more than 1,000 bus fleets equipped with SmartBus™ Wi-Fi across the 2,500 + district partners we serve . Considering the 30 percent of K-12 students in the U . S . who do not have Internet at home , we see novel solutions like SmartBus as a vital opportunity for underprivileged or disconnected students to access their online assignments while in transit . As well , the total time students spend riding the bus averages out to 20 instructional days per student per school year – time that could be spent learning . Adoption of the solution continued to grow .
26 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | FEBRUARY 2021