School District Receives Technology Support From State
Leland School District
recently received their allotment of technical devices from the Mississippi
Legislature through two
Mississippi Connects laws,
the Equity in Distance
Learning Act (SB 3044) and
the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband
Availability Act (HB 1788).
The goal of the two laws
is for every student in the
state to receive the technology needed to learn
at school and at home.
Districts placed orders to
purchase 320,000 computer
devices and an additional
70,000 devices were ordered
outside of the program.
Also, the Mississippi State
Board of Education (SBE)
approved the methodology
to distribute $50 million to
districts through HB 1788,
which provides grants to
Mississippi school districts,
independent schools and
Native American tribal
schools to expand broadband access in unserved areas of the state. Funds have
been allocated to districts
based on FCC data of homes
without broadband access
and the districts’ population of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
HB 1788 will provide
broadband access support to
75% of public-school households and more than 20,000
independent school and
tribal school households.
Districts and schools
determine how to best
use the funds to increase
broadband access. Strategies may include the purchase of hotspots, cell
towers and equipment
to strengthen broadband
power in schools or other
community access points.
“The unexpected need for
distance learning provided
Mississippi with an opportunity to reimagine the
digital learning experience
and create an innovative approach to getting students
what they need to learn,
whether in a classroom or at
home,” said Carey Wright,
State Superintendent.
Mississippi Connects
components include laptops or tablets for students and teachers to
use at home or school.
Districts select Chromebooks, Windows laptops,
MacBooks and/or iPads.
Also included are highquality instructional materials, learning management systems and other
online learning tools. All
software, security and
support features come
pre-loaded and configured for immediate use.
Enhanced internet connectivity in areas of the
state where students do
not have broadband service is part of program.
Districts will use funds to
purchase services such as
data plans and hotspots or
to expand broadband access in community locations accessible to students.
Professional development
and technology support for
teachers and students to
implement distance learning and student access to
telehealth and teletherapy
services for their physical,
social and emotional health
are also part of the program.- Leland Progess LLC