CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on something many local homes don’t have: reliable internet.
Without it, people could not work from home nor could kids even attend school.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is seeking solutions trying to get thousands of students and their families connected to high-speed internet, be it at a discount or for free, in an effort to bridge the digital divide.
The district is partnering with Mecklenburg County’s Center for Digital Equity to help identify eligible families to enroll in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program. CMS and the Center for Digital Equity estimate the program could impact anywhere between 70,000 to 100,000 student households.
CMS says 71% of CMS students’ households are automatically eligible for the ACP based on school attendance or school program participation.
"Our children need access, our families need access," said Candace Salmon-Hosey, CMS's chief technology officer.
The Center for Digital Equity is acting as the link between families in need and the program.
The ACP is a $14 billion program run by the Federal Communications Commission that offers eligible families up to $30 per month on their internet service, a one-time discount of up to $100 for a device (i.e. laptop or desktop computer or tablet), and you could even get a low-cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP.
"We ensure that we walk you through each step of the process, once you have an approval from the Affordable Connectivity Program, then you take that back to your internet service provider, and they would apply the $30 benefit," Natali Betancur, the Center for Digital Equity's deputy director.
The Center for Digital Equity has helped more than 400 CMS families since December.
"Over 40% of those families are actually Spanish speaking from Colombia to Mexico to Honduras," Betancur said. "And then the rest are actually a variety of different languages with the other half being English speaking."
Right now, according to data from the non-profit EducationSuperHighway's "No Home Left Offline" report, only about 31% of eligible North Carolina households have signed up for the ACP. The numbers continue to rise with more exposure and outreach. Of the roughly 31%, about 42,000 of them are in Mecklenburg County and many of them have kids in CMS.
"It doesn't make for just a better student, it makes for a better chance," Salmon Hosey said.
For the rest of the school year, CMS and the Center for Digital Equity will continue to directly connect with students and their families. Mailers with information about the campaign and the ACP will go home with April report cards and in-person events to assist families will take place in both March and May.
Families interested in finding out if they are eligible or need help signing up can visit the Center for Digital Equity's navigator page or call 3-1-1 and be connected with a live person.