Many children across America will still have to experience distance learning throughout 2021.
While this is a welcome change for many students and parents, it’s challenging for many others. Many American families still don’t have access to reliable WiFi, which leaves children across the country unable to get an education while the lockdowns continue.
So, what’s the best solution for your school? What do you do if some of your students don’t have reliable Wi-Fi? It would help if you offered them the school bus WiFi. Children can commute on the school bus with their laptops or tablets. They can connect to the Wi-Fi to complete their coursework and watch lectures.
Here’s what you can do:
Where Are Your Buses?
It would help to learn which neighborhoods don’t have reliable internet connections. You should park a few school buses there if you have students in these neighborhoods.
While schools might be closed, there are other places where students like to spend their spare time. These can include parks, local gyms, or shopping plazas.
You can keep a school bus parked in these areas. A student can hop on the bus with their device to connect to the school bus WiFi.
First, test out your school bus’s WiFi. You might need to invest in an internet provider to address the digital divide.
Let Everyone Know
Once you’ve set up your school buses, you want to communicate regularly with parents and students. Set up social media pages specifically for the school buses.
These will provide regular updates on where the buses get parked. It will also let you know if a bus is running late, changing its route, etc. You can also create a WhatsApp, GroupMe, or Telegram chatroom where students/parents can interact with the school bus drivers. On the side of each school bus, hang a banner that provides instructions on connecting to the WiFi.
Offering Protection
Follow the CDC guidelines to protect against COVID-19. Offer hand sanitizers on each bus for the students.
You also want to limit how many students can sit on each bus.
Make sure that students sit apart from each other. You can also hand out face masks for any student who doesn’t have one. If your school or school district has many students who need school bus WiFi, you can create a reservation system.
Students will have to reserve a spot to sit on the bus. Or, you can set a time limit on how long each student can sit on their bus. For exams, ask teachers/proctors to schedule time slots. This is when they can watch over students while they take their exams.
Bring School Bus WiFi to Students Today
Now that you know the benefits of school bus WiFi, you can start implementing them for your district. Make sure you first test that the buses have a reliable internet connection. It would help if you prepared each bus to meet CDC guidelines for virus protection. Start informing the parents immediately so you can assure them that their children will still have access to education. Our website has great tips on helping schools and improving education.
