Educator leading efforts to improve rural internet

In an effort to draw state or federal funding to improve rural internet in Seneca County, a school superintendent is working to gather educators, public officials and internet service providers interested in advance planning. Laura Kagy, superintendent of Seneca East Local School District, said she started making phone calls when she heard about Gov. Mike DeWine's future plans to make funding available for increasing rural internet access. Kagy said she would like to get school representatives, business people, internet providers, county and township officials and anyone else with a need or interest involved. "It's not a limited group by any means," she said. "We're just in the beginning of the conversation. We know we want to do something, but we are still collecting information." The pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable internet for education, tele-medicine, job-seeking and other aspects of life. "Really, this is the first time it's been acknowledged as a need," Kagy said. "That really put the spotlight on that inequity." On its InnovateOhio website, the DeWine administration says, "The DeWine-Husted administration understands that access to fast, reliable internet services has become a standard of living increasingly necessary for gainful employment, integration into educational programs and preparation for the kinds of careers we expect to exist in the future. "For more than 300,000 households in Ohio representing close to 1 million Ohioans, a lack of access to high-speed internet is a critical barrier," the broadband policy states. "In some parts of Ohio, the connectivity required for children to do computer-based homework and for adults to look for a new job or access online education or training programs does not exist. Ohio's most recent mapping efforts demonstrates that many Ohioans, particularly in rural areas, face connectivity issues. DeWine's Ohio Broadband Strategy focuses on improving access for two groups — the unserved and underserved, the website states. According to the Federal Communications Commission definition, "unserved" areas are those that do not have any high-speed internet access or only have access to service at speeds of at least 10 megabits per second downstream and 1 megabit per second upstream. "Underserved" areas are those that have service but at a speed less than the FCC's definition of high-speed internet at 25 megabits per second downstream and three megabits per second upstream. The website includes maps of Ohio showing the type of internet access available. It can be found at innovateohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/innovate/priorities/resources/broadband/overview. Kagy said she would like the group to identify parts of the county in need of rural high-speed internet service and put a plan together to make it happen. The school district she leads is an example. "There are a good percentage of students that lack good, reliable high-speed internet," Kagy said. "It's just something I feel in our area is a necessity." Last August and September, Seneca East received $151,466 in federal CARES Act funds through the state. The state grant program for schools set aside $50 million to provide hot spots and internet-enabled devices for students who didn't have internet access. Schools applied during a short window in mid-August through the start of the school year, and federal legislation has extended the grant program through Dec. 31. Other county or area schools that received funds were: Buckeye Central, $44,228; Bridges Community Academy, $20,000; Hopewell-Loudon, $4,868; Mohawk, $20,000; North Central Academy, $20,000; and New Riegel, $2,000. Kagy said Seneca East purchased hot spots to provide internet access for students who did not have a way of taking part in online classes. Now, on a larger scale, Kagy said she hopes state funding will provide a more permanent solution. "This could fix the infrastructure issue," she said. "Not just for students but for the families." Regarding state money becoming available, Kagy said she saw through professional educators organizations that money might be available in the near future to help with the rural internet issue. "We are just at the beginning of finding out the rules for that money," she said. "Let's be at the forefront of this." She said the date for a meeting to gather data on rural broadband issues has not yet been set.