With about 22% of Hall County School District students opting for virtual learning this semester, district officials are working to make sure the students - and their teachers - have proper access to internet service.
"One of the challenges is we've got certain areas of Hall County where there is no internet service or the internet service is so poor that students have a hard time connecting and keeping up," said Superintendent Will Schofield.
Already, technology officials with the district have overseen the installation of outdoor access points at a number of schools. Now, they are working to install Wi-Fi access points at public parks in each high school cluster.
"The first two are at the Hog Mountain recreation facility and the second one is at the East Hall Community Center," Schofield said. "Families can drive up and finish their schoolwork or teachers can prepare."
Schofield said Dr. Aaron Turpin, the Assistant Superintendent of Technology, has mapped out plans for the remaining school clusters to receive "hot spots" in the next 90 days.
The state of Georgia has absorbed the cost of the hardware and the service for the access points through July 2021. The local school district is paying for the installation of the technology, according to Turpin.
Outdoor Access Points (APs) at schools completed:
- Chestnut Mountain Elementary
- Chicopee Woods Elementary
- Chestatee High
- Flowery Branch Elementary
- Lula Elementary
- Lyman Hall Elementary
- Lanier Elementary
- McEver Elementary
- Myers Elementary
- Oakwood Elementary
- Sardis Elementary
- Spout Springs Elementary
- Tadmore Elementary
- World Language Academy
- Wauka Mountain Elementary
- White Sulphur Elementary
Wi-Fi Access Points have been installed at the East Hall Community Center and the Hog Mountain Sports Complex.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/10/948602/hall-county-school-district-installing-wi-fi-access-points-at-county-parks