The tools, then, exist to help districts to bridge the digital divide for their students. The problem is that many districts don’t have access to these tools. Places like Albemarle Schools provide a clear example of how school districts can close the digital divide; now we need to address the barriers that keep other districts from following suit.
This article also notes that over 20 “red” states have laws in place prohibiting the kind of municipal network that Albemarle Schools used to provide access, and that without the school municipal network, there is no commercial access at all for the students. There are similarities between Albermarle Schools and school districts in Dona Ana County here in SNM: a very large county with a low population density, outside of Las Cruces city limits.
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