Bibb County Schools To Hand Out WiFi Hotspots

Caption

A student at Heritage Elementary School in Macon logs into her school district supplied laptop recently. Bibb Schools will start the year fully online.

Credit: Grant Blankenship

Some students in Bibb County still in need of internet access before virtual school gets underway next week can pick up free WiFi hotspots from the school district.

Starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, parents can pick up a hotspot at the districts professional learning center at 2007 Riverside Drive.

The district has 1,500 of the devices to disburse thanks to a grant from the One Million Foundation, a charity with the aim of getting internet access to a million students nationwide.

“Originally, the grant was for ninth through 12th graders and then this past spring, just before school got out, they extended it to K through eighth graders also,” said Michelle Lenderman, head of media services for Bibb County Schools.

Lenderman said the devices will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis but are best for students who move a lot during the school year or for parents juggling childcare.

“It’'ll go with you if you have to go stay with an aunt or a grandmother while mom's at work,” Lenderman said.  “Even if your grandma doesn't have wireless at her house, you'll still be able to do your schoolwork.”

Bibb Schools Superintendent Curtis Jones has said the district could use up to nine times as many WiFi hotspots as classes begin entirely online for its more than 24,000 students.

So far the district has disbursed over 5,000 laptops to students. The district will also deploy a fleet of WiFi-enabled school buses to address the need for internet.