ABILENE – COVID-19 is having more than an economic impact on communities across the country. It's also left school districts nationwide with a dilemma: how to educate students where schools have been closed indefinitely.
WesTex Connect is doing its part to make sure Abilene Independent School District students can continue their studies by offering free WiFi around the Big Country. One of the first WiFi hotspots is at Shotwell Stadium. To use the hotspot, a student will have to be between 200-500 feet from the tower.
Other hot spot zones include Wylie’s Bulldog Stadium, City Park in Clyde, and the north parking lot of the Abilene Convention Center, according to KTXS 12.
The school district also plans to turn 25 school buses into mobile hot spots. AISD Communications Director Lance Flemming told My Fox Zone students will be notified about where the hot spot buses will be and how long they will be at their designated locations once they are up and running.
AISD has also issued 4,200 Chromebooks to students so they can use the hot spots to access their online education courses.
Logging into the free WiFi will be easy for students who need it. They simply need to get close to the available hotspot, log on to WesTex Connect-GUEST, and click connect. There is no password, according to KTXS 12.
AISD Superintendent Dr. David Young told the station he is grateful to WesTex Connect for providing internet access to his students.
“This type of teamwork is what makes Abilene a special place, and it’s something we see time and time again in our community,” he said.
Flemming told My Fox Zone his district wants to prevent any learning gaps due to COVID-19.
"You don't want to lose those nine or 10 weeks and tell those students good luck next year," he said. "That's why we are talking about what's next?"
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