Pursuing an aggressive agenda to connect families to school through community partnerships and SpaceX

Thirty-nine percent of families in Ector County Independent School District had no internet access or cell phone internet access. To provide universal access, the district provided families with MiFi devices and connected with local cable services as well as SpaceX to bring satellite Wi-Fi access to ALL those who needed it.

At the start of the pandemic, 39% of families in Ector County Independent School District had no internet access or cell phone internet access. While ensuring adequate home connectivity was a four-year goal, the district needed to move quickly to accelerate progress.

“We had hoped to have Internet in every family’s home within four years. That was a part of our strategic plan. But because of the pandemic, we now have Internet and [almost] every family connected today.” – Scott Muri, Superintendent, Ector County ISD

Approach

To provide universal access, the district pursued both short-term and long-term solutions. Families were given MiFi devices and connected with local cable services, but a considerable portion of the rural population in the district had no good options for connectivity. ECISD pursued an innovative partnership with SpaceX to bring satellite Wi-Fi access to those who needed it.

“The challenge was our families that live in a more remote environment. And so all the money in the world wasn’t going to bring the Internet to a family when you don’t have anything. And so that’s where SpaceX came in.” – Scott Muri

In the longer term, ECISD has assembled a local “Connector Task Force”— made up of 26 local business and social sector leaders — to develop a county-wide plan. ECISD leadership is also engaged with a state-level task force to connect its own efforts to state-wide initiatives.

This strategy is a part of TLA’s Hop, Skip, Leapfrog release, which explores the concrete ways in which schools and systems pursued student-centered innovation during COVID-19. Explore the full guide to find additional strategies, insights, and resources.