Citizens and Floyd County Public School System launch a pilot project to offer discounted internet service for families on the free & reduced lunch program.
FLOYD, VA– Dr. Kevin Harris, Superintendent of Floyd County High School and Greg Sapp, CEO & General Manager of Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) just announced a partnership for a pilot program called “Student Connect” with the goal of ensuring that all students at Floyd County High School have access to high speed Internet at home.
“The goal is to get broadband service in the home of every high school student. Citizens Telephone Cooperative (Citizens) and Floyd County Public School System (FCPS) are working together to create a pilot program for the remaining 2014-2015 school year to ensure that every high school student in the Free and Reduced Lunch program has broadband service available to them at home” stated Greg Sapp.
The school system will be administering this program and will be sending Information regarding this program to qualifying households in the next couple of weeks. The sign up period for the “Student Connect” pilot program for the 2014-2015 school year will be Monday, March 2nd through Friday, March 13th. Students enrolled in this program will not have access to non-educational websites. The Student Connect service will follow the same access restrictions as the school. At the end of the school year, both Citizens and FCPS will review the success of the program and discuss the possibility of expanding, continuing, or modifying the program.
“This program gives students on the Free and Reduced Lunch program the opportunity to have a high speed connection and access to educational resources to aid in their academic success.” stated Superintendent, Dr. Kevin Harris, “Last year we began our 1 to 1 Chromebook program which provides Chromebooks to many of our students. Having access to a high speed connection gives them the same access to information at home as they would have while they are at school.”
For more information about Student Connect, contact Alan Williams in the Technology Department at Floyd County High School by calling 745-9450.
Citizens is a member-owned Cooperative providing telephone, Internet, and TV to Floyd County and surrounding communities for over 100 years. For full service Internet options and other services, visit www.citizens.coop.