Salinas school district teams up with companies to help qualifying families get internet access

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Salinas City Elementary School District announced that it is teaming up with Raley's and Comcast to help qualifying families get free, reliable internet access.

The initiative is called SCESDConnect, and the district said a $30,000 donation by Raley's allows them to provide Comcast's Internet Essentials program for qualifying low-income families if they live in a Comcast service area.

The district said it will provide more information soon about eligibility requirements and how to sign up.

"Addressing the Digital Divide requires shared leadership of both private and public sectors at the federal, state, and local levels. The persistent lack of connectivity is an infrastructure inequity--and we urge the federal communications commission to expand E-Rate and our state legislature to address the broadband inequities for all," said SCESD Superintendent Dr. Rebeca Andrade. "This grant will allow us to transfer 3,000 families from the current internet insecure system they have into an infrastructure that can sustain connectivity for the continued Distance Learning needs of their children from the safety of their home."

When distance learning began in March 2020, the district said it worked to provide students and families with chromebooks, hot spots and iPads, and the Monterey County Office of Education found at that time that 8,500 students in the county did not have a device at home and 11,000 did not have internet access.