$10 Million Recommended To Improve High-speed Internet To Schools
by January 16, 2014 7:28 am 74 views
From Rob Moritz with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau:
The Beebe administration Wednesday proposed a $10 million pilot program to help school districts across the state gain access to high-speed Internet.
The proposal was presented to the Joint Budget Committee, which is examining major state budgets this week in advance of the Legislature’s fiscal session that convenes Feb. 10. The panel took no action.
The program, supported by Gov. Mike Beebe, would be funded with $10 million from the unallocated money in the General Improvement Fund.
State Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell said in an interview that the state Department of Education would set up the rules and criteria for the grant program, where the state would match every dollar spent by a school district to access or improve high-speed Internet service.
Two different task forces have been studying the issue of improving broadband service to public schools.