ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Education is providing internet hotspots to some school districts in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, officials announced on Tuesday.
According to GaDOE, it is doing this because some districts have been facing internet connectivity issues following these storms. Affected districts will receive hotspots so they can distribute them as needed across their schools, and service will continue through mid-2025.
So far, devices have been secured for nine primarily rural districts that include:
- Appling
- Bartow
- Coffee
- Laurens
- Mitchell
- Monroe
- Taylor
- Towns
- Wayne
State School Superintendent Richard Woods said that many districts have experienced severe impacts this hurricane season.
"As communities across our state recover, we are committed to ensuring districts and schools have the resources they need to build back and continue providing excellent learning experiences for all students," Woods said. "Providing these hotspots will help districts bridge the gap and ensure the connectivity needed for continued learning."
The department first provided hotspots in partnership with T-Mobile to districts in need at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a release. GaDOE is now building on that same partnership to provide these devices following the aftermath of these storms.
In addition, the agency has extended reporting deadlines and secured meal-service waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. GaDOE's facilities and transportation teams were also on the ground working with impacted districts immediately after Hurricane Helene, a release wrote.
GaDOE said that the agency will provide information on how to request assistance for any other districts in need of connectivity support.
