Hidalgo County has begun offering Wi-Fi throughout certain areas of the area intended to provide free internet access to students living in underserved areas.
According to a Tuesday evening release from the county, the project is ongoing as officials hope to expand infrastructure to connect more homes, an effort designed to address connectivity problems that have plagued Rio Grande Valley students since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many local districts have noted a decrease in enrollment they attribute to children not being able to connect virtually. The decrease is in the thousands in Hidalgo County alone.
Other districts have seen an increase in failure rates among their students, a phenomenon they attribute to online learning.
“One of the biggest tragedies of the COVID-19 pandemic is how it has affected our children, especially those in school,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez wrote in the release. “Families that live in some areas were especially hit hard with the lack of connectivity.”
So far there have been over 30 locations identified to beam a Wi-Fi signal, the release says, pooling more than $16 million in federal funding with schools and cities to give students internet access in their homes.
“The day that students return to their schools for in-class learning instruction will be a huge step forward,” Cortez wrote. “With the help of internet access provided by the county and federal funding, students can go home and continue their education.”
