By NICK GOSNELL
HUTCHINSON — The digital differences between students in Kansas K-12 education have been brought into sharp relief this year.
"We've known for several years that children, especially those who live in some of the more remote rural areas, or those who live in high poverty areas just do not have access to broadband internet either at all or to a reliable supplier," said KASB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Leah Fliter. "We've known that. It's something that the state has been attempting to work on through a broadband task force, but you know, it's been slow going."
The federal level may provide some hope in that regard if proposed legislation makes it into the next COVID-19 stimulus bill.
"The Emergency Educational Connections Act, that's a bill that would provide $4 billion for internet connectivity across the nation," Fliter said. "It would assist with broadband devices, with Wi-Fi hotspots and other connectivity issues for students across the United States."
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates 14 percent of school-aged children didn’t have home internet access in 2017. Kansas was slightly below that national rate.
"In Kansas, that's 70,000 kids we estimate do not have broadband internet access at home," Fliter said.
For those who think online delivery might be the solution to a long-term teacher shortage in the state, in order for that to be viable, the students need to have internet access at home.