Federal broadband grants awarded to area school districts

Moses Lake, Othello, Ephrata, Royal City, Ritzville and Washtucna school districts have been awarded grants through the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a press release Jan. 21 from the office of U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA.

“Even before the pandemic, access to high-speed internet was absolutely vital to any student trying to get a high-quality education,” Murray said. “This funding will help make sure students in every part of Washington state will have the tools they need to learn. Every child deserves the very best education we can offer them, but that’s not possible without access to high-speed internet — that’s why I fought so hard for this money in the American Rescue Plan, and it’s great to see it being put to good use.

Washtucna School District received about $24,000 in funding, while Ritzville School District came in with just less than $47,000, Royal School District at about $55,000, Ephrata School District at about $126,000 and Othello School District with two grants, totaling roughly $835,000. Moses Lake School District, the largest of the area districts, came in with about $1.2 million in ARPA funding grants to assist more students in getting broadband access. Statewide, school districts were awarded a total of more than $88 million in grants from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which commits federal funds to support schools and libraries in providing digital tools and services for communities hit hard by the pandemic.

Washtucna School District Superintendent Rob Clark said the money would go a long way toward helping his rural school district. While each student is already issued a Chromebook, some families, especially those living outside of town, have difficulty accessing the internet. A hot spot or similar device can be provided, but those costs add up for each household in need, he said.

“The primary situation in Washtucna is cost,” Clark said. “… If a family needed connectivity and income was the precipitating factor, we can buy a device that costs somewhere between $150 and $200, depending on the product we buy. And then you’re looking at somewhere between $15 and $30 a month for service.”

Those devices typically come with a 12-month contract, so the costs extend throughout the year, Clark said. To take care of a student’s connectivity needs can cost between $300 and $600 annually, but the federal funding will go a long way toward offsetting that expense for the district.

Additional assistance will be provided through the Affordable Connectivity Program which was created through the Digital Equity Act. Funding established in that bill and related legislation will provide about 19% of Washingtonians with assistance in purchasing internet access. The program provides a $30 per month discount on internet services and $100 off toward an internet-connected device. To apply for assistance, residents can apply at emergencyconnectivityfund.org.

To improve internet infrastructure across the state, the Digital Equity Act also provides the state of Washington with $100 million in funding.

Murray said given the impacts of the pandemic, access to high-speed internet is vital for students and communities to succeed.

“Everyone deserves and needs equal access to the internet to succeed,” Murray said.

R. Hans Miller can be reached via email at rmiller@columbiabasinherald.com.