Press Release
Rep. Cuellar Announces Over $10.3 Million to Provide Digital Devices and Broadband Connections for Students at United ISD and Laredo ISD
Washington | Arturo Olivarez, DC Press Secretary (956-970-1441),
November 18, 2022
Tags:
Education
Laredo, TX — Today, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $10,300,510 for Laredo Independent School District (LISD) and United Independent School District (UISD) to purchase laptops, routers, modems, tablets, and broadband services at school libraries. The funding can also be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure students have the necessary support to keep up with their education. "These monies will provide our students with fundamental resources that are crucial to education in our modern world. On behalf of our entire United community, I thank Congressman Cuellar for securing these funds and ensuring our students have everything they need to learn, grow, and succeed,” said UISD Superintendent David H. Gonzalez. Specifically, LISD will use the funds to purchase approximately 2,100 hotspots to provide students with Wi-Fi access and to pay for the monthly fee to keep the hotspots working. UISD will purchase 21,600 laptops for students, 3,000 laptops for teachers and support staff, 40 Wi-Fi routers, 11,000 hotspots, and equipment to install Wi-Fi in school busses. The funding was awarded through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. The Emergency Connectivity Program was created and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. To date, FCC has provided digital devices and broadband connections to approximately 15 million students through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched last year. ### |