California Digital Divide Fund raises more than $18.3 million
to address inequities in California Schools due to COVID-19 and wildfires
In March of this year, when Meadows Union School District Superintendent Keila Rodriquez faced the problem so many districts have faced since the start of the pandemic, she wondered how her 480, mostly under-resourced students, would be able to progress with their education without access to a computer or a digital device. It was going to be a huge challenge to overcome.
Though we have known for decades that the digital divide existed, this pandemic and subsequent fires, have shined a light on this major inequity. When the physical campuses of schools across California closed in March, six million students had to continue their education from home. Whether the digital divide is caused by a lack of infrastructure in our rural and frontier communities or a lack of affordability in our cities, one thing is clear, every one of our students deserves the opportunity to learn and have equitable access to computing devices and the connectivity to do so.
While schools, districts, and families worked hard to adjust to the new normal, the California Department of Education (CDE), the Governor’s Office, State Board of Education, and the CDE Foundation were working on a plan to facilitate the donation of devices to students most in need. And so the California Bridging the Digital Divide ( CA BDD) Fund joint effort was formed. The CA BDD Fund is a centralized resource for state leadership to provide essential devices, connectivity, and related digital learning supports for PK-12 students, teachers, and their families. Funds from this campaign go directly to equip school districts with the resources they need to enable distance learning for our 6.2 million learners and 300,000+ teachers who have been hit hard by COVID-19 and the recent wildfires that ravaged the state.
In fact, Governor Newsom’s first priority was to address the needs of the State’s rural and small schools due to their lack of infrastructure, devices, and access to industry partnerships. The CDE was tapped to lead the effort to identify those schools with the highest need and to ensure an equitable distribution of resources. Those included small and rural schools as well those with some of the highest percentages of Free Reduced Meal Program Students and English Language Learners.
Superintendent Keila Rodriguez of the Meadow Union School District was among the priority school districts who received Chromebooks and shared this feedback, “On behalf of Meadows Union School District and its 480 students, I’d like to thank State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and all the donors involved to ensure the digital gap was addressed in this pandemic. Our staff, parents, and most importantly our students are very appreciative as this alleviates one of the most crucial components in our Distance Learning Plan.”
From March through September 2020, the CA BDD Fund has garnered over $18.3 million and in-kind donations that have enabled the procurement of over 65,000 devices and 100,000 hotspots. Over 300 districts, that is approximately 29% of all districts across 39 counties in California, have received devices and/or hotspots. Additional Chromebooks will be delivered this month that were back-ordered due to a worldwide device shortage.
And while the pandemic highlighted the deep digital divide, there was also urgency to address the dire needs of students, teachers and families impacted by the wildfires, which destroyed schools and homes in places like Berry Creek, CA. Once again, the CDE, in partnership with the CDE Foundation, has created the CDE Emergency Response Fund to solicit donations for any school community in the state impacted by natural disasters.
These funds will be used for essentials such as food, water, computers, hotspots, personal protective equipment (PPE), and various distance learning supplies. You can support this important effort by contributing a donation of any amount here.
Remember, we are stronger together and we can do more together by tapping into the innate resilience of all our California communities. Thank you for your support!
In solidarity,
The CDE Foundation
