Thanks to a $714,456 grant through the state's Community Wi-Fi Grant Program, the Bridgeport school system is aiming to expand its existing Wi-Fi and Internet services infrastructure to be able to reach the city's public housing communities, including at Trumbull Gardens, Charles F. Greene Homes and parts of P.T. Barnum Apartments, according to a statement from the district.
"Reliable Internet access is essential, and it is our hope that this work helps ensure our students can learn and stay connected beyond the classroom," according to the Bridgeport Public Schools statement.
The Community Wi-Fi Grant Program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund and "it is designed to aid and enhance Internet infrastructure for work, education, health and wellness," according to its website.
The goal of the program is to expand the Connecticut Education Network, the Internet service provider the state uses for government, libraries and schools, to support "underserved and economically disadvantaged communities."
Bridgeport Public Schools serves more than 19,700 students, and more than 800 of them live in the three Park City Communities that will be supported through the Wi-Fi initiative, according to information from the school district.
At the Bridgeport Board of Education's April 13 meeting, Interim Superintendent Royce Avery said Wi-Fi access for the families who live in these communities will be free. They will have to go to their local community housing authority office to sign up for access, or they can use the eduroam part of the network to log on (eduoroam is a roaming wireless service that allows students and staff to connect at specific locations using their school credentials).
More information will be provided to the school board about this initiative when a report is ready, Avery said.
School board member Andre Woodson pointed out that not all Bridgeport students have access to computers or tablets once they leave school grounds. Avery said the district's technology department is assessing that.
"We have to have the technology available and accessible for students to take their online assessments as well. ... We're maximizing what we have and then (will) also take an inventory of the things that we're additionally going to be needing," Avery said.
By the end of May, Avery said the district will know what technology is needed.
"We've got to make sure that the financial means of making sure technology is provided ... in a way that's going to be equitable and distributed across the district," he said.
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