What online school? Thousands of students still can't access classes over the internet

Since schools shut down in spring, districts have scrambled to distribute laptops and internet so students can engage in schooling from home. But almost a year later, with no end in sight for virtual learning, millions of students still lack reliably fast internet or a working computer — the basic tools to participate in live lessons from home. The digital divide is complicated to solve. The cost of broadband is out of reach for many families. High-speed internet lines are scarce in rural areas. And there's little good and consistent data on the extent of internet connectivity — something the federal government could have taken the lead on years ago but didn't. As for computers, many low-income students only got them halfway through the year, further slowing their learning. Or the district-supplied devices are starting to break down and there's not enough IT support, advocates for disadvantaged families say. As of December, at least 11 of the 25 largest districts in the US were still distributing devices or internet to students or could not define the extent of lingering connectivity needs. The problem is greatest among the lowest-income students, who also are most likely to be learning online.