Progress on the school tech front

Some good news for distance learners came this week related to devices and internet service for students.  

Superintendent Paul Turner told The Star Monday that an additional 275 Chromebooks should be in this week, enough for every student in the Grand Coulee Dam School District to have a device to use.

Turner also said that the school qualified for funding from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to pay for internet for up to 100 families through June of 2021. 

That is about how many families need internet in the district, Turner said, adding that the money won’t bring service to areas where it is currently unavailable, but it can pay for internet service for families who live where it is already available.

The Hoh Tribe in Western Washington recently gained access to the internet through SpaceX’s Starlink project, which involves launching satellites into space to provide broadband, with over 700 satellites launched so far.

“More residents in Washington and other areas in the northern US could get access to Starlink services in the near future,” wrote ZDNet reporting on the topic.