The school board on Thursday agreed to purchase as many as 1,000 routers, each with a year's subscription to broadband service.
Cradlepoint Routers will cost $799 each and broadband $480 for a year from Verizon, but the devices and service will be provided at no cost to the district through the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund.
Families will sign statements saying they need Internet service to receive the routers and broadband.
In addition, the board purchased 500 Chromebook computers through the fund for $185,000.
Providing Internet service for students without it has been a goal since schools closed because of COVID-19 in March 2020.
While the district provided Internet access in parking lots outside some schools, many students remained offline while classes met virtually.
Although classes resumed in person last year, Internet service remains vital during virtual snow days or if classes go online for other reasons such as a new outbreak of disease or a broken boiler that closed Hazleton Area High School for several days last winter.
Dr. Robert Childs, a former school board member, said it was inappropriate to count days when the high school closed as instruction days because of the students who couldn't participate online.
He has been calling for the district to supply Internet service to students, at least since the pandemic began.
"I'm glad they're making some progress," Childs said about the service for up to 1,000 students, although he thinks even more students than that might need Internet access.
In addition to participating when classes go virtual, students can use the Internet for assignments.
"No question about it: Many of the homework assignments require computers," said Childs, adding that before he left the board seven years ago, members of the board wrestled with the issue of whether to allow teachers to assign work that required computers or Internet access until all students had the technology.
Hazleton Area Superintendent Brian Uplinger said students also can turn in assignments via the Internet rather than bring homework to class the next morning.
"They don't have to worry about, 'Oh my gosh, I forgot my assignment at home," Uplinger said.
After parents fill out an application for Internet service and are approved, their children might take home the router or the parents might arrange to pick up the router.
"Whatever will work the family, we'll make available," he said.
The new routers, also, might encourage more students to enter Hazleton Area Cyber Academy.
The cyber academy students take classes with Hazleton Area teachers, can participate in the district's extracurricular activities and receive the same diplomas as students who attend one of the three high school buildings.
As of May 24, the cyber academy had 1,070 students, whereas another 471 students who live within Hazleton Area attend private cyber schools to which the district pays tuition.
To recruit students from private schools, the district will open a physical office for Hazleton Area Cyber Academy at Laurel Mall this year.
At the mall office, cyber students will be able to meet with teachers for help with classes or computer issues.
"You can come into our facility we have counselors available, an administrator available. The teachers are there. They have that physical connection even though ... 99 percent of their time is going to be online," Uplinger said.
The board also hired 10 teachers and a social worker for the cyber academy.
This year, students in all grades of the cyber academy will have teachers leading classes live. Last year, teachers in school buildings worked with cyber students in grades six to 12 afternoons and on weekends.
At the mall, the district also plans to open a store selling clothing and other items with Hazleton Area Cougar logos.
The mall also will be the playing area for a new esports team that Hazleton Area is starting.
For the team, the board purchased 13 computers that each will have 27-inch monitors, keyboard, mouse and headsets for $30,079.
©2022 the Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
