Rural students struggle to succeed without internet connection

Schools transitioned online as COVID-19 cases across the nation rose, but for some students in the Tri-State (Ohio-Kentucky-West Virginia), the transition didn’t come without trouble. As students grapple with how they will be able to attend class and meet deadlines in this new normal, educators like Spanish professor Tim Mollet, of Ohio University Southern, are trying to get creative. “I’ve even considered snail mail,” Mollet said. Schools like Ohio University Southern and Boyd County High School are offering up their parking lots as a temporary solution. Hot spots with extended range are being used in the school parking lots to service students without internet access. Students can park in the parking lot of Boyd County High School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day to complete work there.

Hope comes in the form of a changed conversation that encourages those without the internet to bridge the gap, says Atkinson. “A few years ago, older generations would ask me, ‘Well, what could I use (the internet) for?’ You’re going to have to empower those locals,” said Western Kentucky professor and data analysis expert Kirk Atkinson. One part of the solution has already begun. An initiative by Kentucky Wired to install five rings of fiber-optic cables of high-speed internet across the state is already underway and 83% finished, according to their website. But, Atkinson says, without encouragement of those without internet, simply expanding broadband’s capacity is not enough. While advocates like Atkinson continue to expand the conversation, rural students can trust that Tri-State educators are sensitive to their struggle. “I’m considering opening back up assignments students missed during finals times and seeing what can be done over a phone call. I want to make sure everyone has the same opportunities,” Mollet said.