Gov. Gavin Newsom shares plans for bridging digital divide, San Lucas used as example for meeting needs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 8/14/2020 1 p.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom provided an update Friday on how the state is helping school districts bridge the digital divide as more than 90% of students start the school year through distance learning.

He said he understands that virtual learning is not optimal, but the state is working towards the goal of allowing students to return for in-person learning.

Newsom said the state has provided more than 18 million masks and face shields, more than 58,000 no-touch thermometers and more than 1.5 million gallons of hand sanitizer to schools.

The state has also conducted surveys, and he shared the findings. 96.1% of California districts report that they are starting to provide technology to students, 91% of parents reported that they have the technology needed and only 71% of districts feel confident that students and families have the technology they need. To help, Newsom said the state has delivered 73,000 devices and 100,000 hotspots to school districts. He said the state also secured an extra $5.3 billion in funding to support schools during the pandemic.

To help bridge the gap, state officials are working with companies that include Apple, T-Mobile, Office Depot, Staples, Edison and others have set aside hundreds of thousands of devices for California schools. Districts can buy the devices through state-negotiated master contracts, according to Newsom.

He also said that internet service providers have a part in helping to bridge the divide. Newsom said their responsibility is to expand no-cost and low-cost plans so all Californians can access online learning.

Today Newsom issued an executive order that is intended to prioritize bridging the divide, directing agencies to work towards a goal of 100 Mbps download speed, outline actions and request the Broadband Council to create a new State Broadband Action.

Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, the President of the State Board of Education, also spoke during the update today.

Darling-Hammond used four areas as examples of districts with computers and connectivity for every student- Los Angeles, San Diego, Elk Hills and San Lucas in Monterey County.

In San Lucas, Darling-Hammond said the San Lucas Union Elementary School District in the small community without street lights or sidewalks has stepped up to make sure all students have computers and hot spots.

She said wifi is sometimes unreliable in San Lucas, so the school district came up with backup plans. If the wifi fails, students can call into the class or use paper backups. She said staff also meets every week to talk about how to reach every student, including by making house calls, a mobile science lab and by creating unique ways to keep them engaged, such as Music Mondays or Travel Tuesdays.

Darling-Hammond said she is working on guidance with the California Department of Public Health for districts to allow small groups of students, similar to child care settings. She said the guidance is expected to be released in the coming week.

In terms of COVID-19 numbers, Newsom said today is the last day of reporting backlogged cases, and on Monday, he will be breaking down the numbers by county. The state is reporting a 20% decrease in hospitalizations over the past 14 days and a 14% decrease in ICU cases over the past 14 days.

PREVIOUS STORY: Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to provide an update on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at noon Friday.

According to a county by Johns Hopkins University, there are nearly 600,000 confirmed cases in California and 10,870 deaths.