COVID-19 & Remote Learning

LAUSD to Provide Internet Connectivity for Students Who Don’t Have Access

• By David Nagel
• 03/23/20

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest district in California and second-largest in the nation, will provide internet connectivity to as many as 100,000 students who do not have access at home. LAUSD schools will remain closed at least until May 1 over concerns surrounding COVID-19, the district recently announced.

According to LAUSD, Verizon will be the internet provider for the students. “This agreement is a critical component in the district’s plan for students to continue learning as campuses remain closed in response to COVID-19.”

“The digital divide is very real, as many as 100,000 of our students lack access to the internet at home,” LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a prepared statement. “We must find a way for all students to continue to learn while schools are closed and this partnership with Verizon will help to do that.”

“Access to distance learning and reliable connectivity is a critical component to the success of the LAUSD’s mission,” said Andrés Irlando, senior vice president and president public sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon, also in a prepared statement. “Verizon is proud to partner with LAUSD to help bridge the digital divide and keep students connected to their teachers, schools and each other during this unprecedented time.”

LAUSD did not disclose terms of the deal. We will update this story when details of the deal become available.

Find more resources for schools during the COVID-19 crisis here.