Pandemic highlights need for better internet access in Westmoreland County

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — For the past year, teachers and students have been adjusting to the challenges of virtual learning.

School districts, especially ones in rural areas, have a greater appreciation for how critical it is for students to have high-speed internet access.

“I think all schools probably made some assumptions with regards to access to the internet, but it really never came to the forefront until March of last year,” said Eric Curry, superintendent of Derry Area School District.

Curry said the district purchased nearly 150 mobile hot spots for families who indicated they did not have high-speed internet.

Westmoreland County’s Economic Growth Connection has been a big advocate for the expansion of broadband.

They, along with other county leaders, are hoping to use money from the Biden administration’s stimulus package to make broadband accessible to just about everyone.

“We’ve got districts telling us they have students sitting in the parking lot in cars or on benches in order to access the internet and do their classes,” said Jim Smith, President and CEO of Economic Growth Connection.

The relief bill is in the hands of the Senate, with a vote possible by the end of the week.

Economic Growth Connection is taking steps to be ready to put that money toward broadband expansion — knowing it will cost millions before implementation.

While many districts have returned to some level of in-person instruction, Curry said 10-15% of Derry’s students have opted to stay online rather than go back to the classroom. He doesn’t expect that to change anytime soon.

“(I) Certainly doubt that it’s going to be significant numbers of families, but there’s still going to be families who found that online remote learning be in their best interest for families and students,” Curry said.

The County Economic Growth Connection group is hoping to see broadband upgrades become a reality in the next 12-18 months.

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