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Maine Dept. Of Education Secures 22,000 Devices To Provide Internet Access To Students

Jacquelyn Martin
/
AP
In this Nov. 25, 2013, file photo, a student works on an e-book on an iPad in her second grade class

The Maine Department of Education says it has secured nearly 22,000 devices to provide internet access to students across the state.

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin says by working with other state agencies, the Department secured nearly 15,000 WiFi devices, as well as more than 7,000 Chromebooks.

Makin says COVID-19 has highlightedthe gap in internet access in Maine.

“As a result of the recent pandemic, that has come into a full-blown crisis for so many kids. We've had teachers who've been struggling to connect with their students. Family members who have felt fairly alone in trying to provide education remotely without that human connection to what is happening with the class, the peers, and the educators.”

The Department says the purchases meet 100 percent of the reported internet access needs for students, based on surveys that about three-quarters of schools in the state responded to.

“Going forward, we're hoping to be able to support schools. And hoping that schools will have time to support, through their school budget processes, ongoing connectivity for those students, in the event that we're unable to be fully back, full-time, with everybody, in-person.” Funding for the devices comes from a combination of federal and philanthropic dollars.

Originally posted 4:51 p.m. May 15, 2020