RENO, Nev. — During the Tuesday morning keynote address, attendees from the audience shared the real-time benefits of implementing Wi-Fi on school buses.
Presenter Keith Krueger, the chief executive officer for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), highlighted changes to the federal E-Rate program. For the first time funds can be used for purchasing school bus Wi-Fi hotspots and equipment, in addition to its traditional use case providing internet connectivity in classrooms and libraries.
Krueger explained that the Federal Communication Commission estimates that between 8.5 to 16 million school children nationwide lack broadband internet at home. This, he said, was extremely prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the homework gap when transitioning to remote, virtual learning.
He added that school buses can serve as a key strategy to address digital equity, as the provides on average (based on the average length of the ride) an additional 24 school days of homework time while on the bus. Plus, having Wi-Fi on sporting or extracurricular events helps students get their homework done on time.
In terms of E-rate for school bus Wi-Fi, Krueger clarified that it’s not a grant program but a discount program. E-rate will reduce the equipment and monthly fees associated with the service by 50 to 90 percent, with higher discounts reserved for economically disadvantaged communities.
He noted that eligibility rules are like other E-Rate requests and added that there’s likely someone at the district or a colleague who already knows the E-rate application process. He said that person could be the district’s technology director, adding that it’s not on transportation to be an E-Rate expert.
There is a current legal court case in the U.S. Fifth District Court of Appeals that is fighting use of federal funds for school bus Wi-Fi hotspots, as some Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Ted Cruz don’t believe the FCC’s approval of school bus Wi-Fi was the original intent of Congress when the program was created following the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. However, Krueger noted that internet connectivity in schools currently paid for by E-Rate extends into cafeterias and hallways, which are considered extensions of the classroom, just as the school bus.
Krueger added that besides homework time, transportation directors who are using Wi-Fi are experiencing less disruption on the school bus, as students are occupied during their routes. He cited a school district in Aurora, Colorado. that saw a decrease in disciplinary referrals by 75 percent. Meanwhile, Raytown C-2 School District in Missouri saw disciplinary referrals drop by 45 precent.
Steve Gardner, the director of Garfield Colorado School District 16, commented from the audience that Wi-Fi has been on his school buses for the past three years. He noted that his staff have found that while homework is not a high priority, students are using programs with educational value while on the bus. He added that he too has seen behavior decreased on the bus.
In terms of security, Krueger said the Wi-Fi has to come with content filters, and many districts as well as Wi-Fi providers have built-in network security parameters. He added that when districts are planning for bus replacement, it’s a good idea to consider implementing Wi-Fi on board.
Gardner added that drivers are also using the Wi-Fi as a disciplinary action tool If students get out of control on the bus, the driver can unplug the connection to demonstrate that internet connectivity on the bus is a privilege.
He said the Wi-Fi project started at Garfield, Colorado to provide hotspots to apartment complexes that had no internet access. The district installed the hotspots on buses and parked the vehicles in those central locations. The other reason, he said, was because parents were constantly asking to contact their students while on the bus ride to coordinate and plan when students would arrive home.
Gardner said Wi-Fi led to implementing communication messages that inform the parents when the bus is expected to arrive. He added that his biggest concern was in regard to installation and getting the system up and running. But he said his partner Kajeet provided a seamless transition.
Billy Huish, the transportation supervisor for Farmington Municipal Schools in New Mexico, said that he has 68 school buses and nine activity buses with Wi-Fi and has seen over 1,800 hours of homework sites being used each week. “One of the best things we ever did,” he said.
Huish spoke more about his experience with school bus Wi-Fi during STN EXPO Indy last June.
Technology Priorities, Challenges
Krueger spent the second half of the keynote discussing other technology priorities and challenges. He said a COSN annual survey of school IT leaders indicates a shift in the top five technology priorities. Cybersecurity has been ranked the number one challenge for the past three years, while Data Privacy & Security came in at No. 2 this year after slowly moving up the list since 2022. Network Infrastructure was the third most common challenge this year followed by the new entrant of Determining AI Strategy and IT Crisis Preparedness.
Krueger added that COSN has been performing this survey for over a decade. The first year it was conducted, he said, none of the current top five priorities were on the radar.
“That’s how fast technology changes,” he said.
He added that when thinking about technology innovation, instead of asking what technology should the focus be on, the question should be, “What problem are we trying to solve and how do we get there?” In terms of the future of education transportation and the role of technology, he advised not seeking to predict but instead striving to invent.
Related: (Recorded Webinar) How to Fund & Implement School Bus WiFi
Related: Webinar Covers E-Rate 101 for School Bus Wi-Fi
Related: STN EXPO Reno Keynote Speaker Uncovers How to Flip the Script and Stay Inspired
