The Joplin School District is expanding its Wi-Fi capabilities into the parking lots of all its buildings.

Administrators said the need for increased internet access became even more urgent this year because of the possibility that students could be forced to rely on remote learning at times during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, all students in the sixth through 12th grades have been or will be issued Chromebooks by the district for use in their daily learning and therefore require internet access, officials said.

"We want to make sure all of our kids who have our devices, and also the teachers if necessary, could have access to our Wi-Fi 24/7," said Kerry Sachetta, assistant superintendent of operations. "I think the necessity of COVID right now is really helping us get something we'd have liked to have had a long time ago, and that is to have all of our parking lots in all of our locations (have Wi-Fi)."

The project launched at Joplin High School, where the wireless network now reaches beyond the building into the parking lots and nearly to the surrounding streets, Sachetta said. It was critical to begin with the high school because of the split schedule there; only half the student body will attend in-person classes on any given day, and the remaining half will work remotely.

The next four schools to receive boosted Wi-Fi access will be McKinley, Irving and Eastmorland elementary schools and North Middle School, said Eric Pitcher, the district's technology director.

"Going off of a survey last March, those were some of the parents who said they didn't really have home Wi-Fi, so that's where we're starting," he said.

Eventually, all locations — including Junge Stadium, the former Duenweg Elementary School and Memorial Education Center, which houses administrative offices and adult education — will have expanded Wi-Fi access, Pitcher said.

The networks will be password-protected, and users must have the school district's certificate of authority to use them, he said. The networks also will continue to have the district's safety filters in place, he said.

The Joplin Board of Education on Tuesday night approved the $40,335 Wi-Fi expansion project; that sum includes more than $25,000 for hardware and software, and nearly $15,000 for labor to install the access points.

Half of the cost will come from the school district; the other half will be paid through a Missouri Schools Connectivity Grant, a program that is funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

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