UINTAH COUNTY, Utah, Oct. 12, 2020 (Gepahrdt Daily) — The Uintah School District has been awarded a $300,000 grant to provide broadband Internet access for students enrolled in district programs who do not otherwise have broadband Internet at home or do not have adequate Internet speeds at home.
“With our blended learning model in place, home access to broadband internet connectivity has never been more important for our students,” Uintah School District Superintendent Rick Woodford said by way of a news release.
“Many of our students’ families cannot afford to pay for broadband service. The broadband access grant will provide our families who qualify with broadband service, allowing their students to access their blended learning curriculum and lessons at home.”
The grant is part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding received by the state of Utah. The district will use the funding it received to help families who:
- Do not have broadband service in their household as of Oct. 1, 2020, or do not have adequate broadband speeds, and
- Meet federal criteria for free and reduced lunch
The broadband connection provided through this grant is not permanent, the news release said. Currently, it is only for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Families cannot cancel or downgrade their existing broadband service to qualify for the grant; however, families can apply for free and reduced lunch here at any time.
Under the grant, broadband service will be provided by STRATA Networks, which will work on a case-by-case basis with qualifying families to determine which broadband options are available where they live.
Internet access provided through this grant will be filtered to meet content guidelines approved by the Uintah School District. Attempts to bypass filtering may result in termination of services.
If you currently have internet access in your household, please determine your connection speed by performing a speed test found here before submitting your application. You will be asked to provide your download and upload speed as part of the application process if you already have broadband service.
To apply for this grant, complete this form. A paper copy of the application is also available in all school offices and at the district office.
