(Atlantic) Atlantic Community Schools I.T. Director Roger Warne and Scott Bennett of NishnaNet presented possible solutions to fulfill student network accessibility at Wednesday’s Atlantic School Board Work Session.
School districts are required to submit a return-to-learn plan for approval by the Iowa Department of Education by July 1, 2020. There is not a voluntary option; the plan must include grades and attendance. The biggest challenge for off-site learning is the need for accessibility and equity, and the district is gathering information on how this can be done to reach all students.
Option 1: Would provide a 4G LTE signal from the south water tower to supply cellular hotspots.
The upside-the internet is provided by the school and monitored by the school’s existing firewall and content filter. The system could gather data to be deployed and gather back. It’s a one-time cost, and the school would own the equipment. The signal would cover most of the City of Atlantic, and can move with each student.
The downside- is the initial cost estimate is $45,000 to $50,000 for the first 100 hotspots. Another 200 hotspots would cost $40,000. The signal could be weak or non-existent in low lying areas and/or dense trees. The system would need an exact address to determine access or dependability of the signal cannot be guaranteed, and it would not reach rural students.
Option 2: Use Mediacom connect to compete. The cost would be $10.00 per month, and the school would choose who gets the service. The designated residence could use a VPN to route internet access through the school’s firewall.
The downside-deployment could take time, limited and data and speed, modem stays in that household, , and exact address is needed to determine access, a one-year commitment, for a minimum of $120. An address must be within Atlantic City limits.
Option 3: Verizon Hotspots: The upside- easy to deploy, easy to gather back in, excellent coverage for the area, own the device moving forward, can move with each student, and provides a rural student and option.
The downside is a six-month minimum contract of $30.00 per device and $40.00 per month for a total cost of $270.00.
Option 4: NishnaNet $55 per month plus install: The upside is this is a good option for rural customers if there is a line of sight.
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The downside is this not a good option for the city, and there are terrain, and vegetation concerns. The customer would pay the bill, and they would have the right to choose this service.
Option 5: Satellite-$75-$100 per month, not an option for school funding, but is an opportunity for someone in a remote location.
Option 6: School Parking Lot with Wifi Access: The upside is there is no cost, content and the internet provided by the school and monitored by the district’s existing firewall and content filter. The Wifi would be accessible at the High School, Middle School, Washington, and the Achievement Center.
The downside would be the range of the Wifi to a 150’ radius, and a student must travel to the location.
The off-site learning plan could be paid by the government allocated C.A.R.E. dollars. The next step is to survey the district’s students and their families to determine the best route to go.
