Chesterfield County schools work to resolve internet issues in rural areas

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — Because of the pandemic, local school districts are working to educate students remotely, even though nearly 200,000 households in South Carolina don’t have internet access.

Chesterfield County school leaders said about 2,000 pupils are expected to learn online, but broadband access in the rural county is very limited.

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The district will use CARES Act money to give low-income families wi-fi hot spot devices.

However, with unreliable cellphone service in many areas, it's not clear if that will work.

The district school superintendent said many people are working to address the problem.

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"Our goal is to find a way to get internet to those homes, through the hot spots, through working with our other partners, Sandhills, Lynches River and Spectrum," Superintendent Harrison Goodwin said.

They expect to provide roughly 700 hot spots to families who qualify, however, CARES Act funding expires at the end of 2020 and another source of support will have to be approved.

Cox Media Group