Dear Lawrence Public Schools families,
I hope you all are staying safe and well, and enjoying a successful return to school this week after the April break. I am pleased today to share an update on our commitment to ensuring all students have the necessary tools for remote learning during this closure.
As you know, we focused immediately after closure on first expanding the learning resources at LawrencePublicSchools.org, followed by distribution of every device in our possession to ensure families had the technology to use those resources. We always recognized, however, that affordable, at-home internet access remained an obstacle for some. While this is not a service LPS controls, we have been committed to supporting families’ efforts to acquire it from local providers.
This week we took a crucial step forward with the acquisition of 500 “hot spot” devices – the first of what we expect to be 2,400 in total – that will provide families and students who do not have it with portable internet access from Verizon. We are in the process of identifying appropriate recipients, and those families will be contacted regarding distribution.
I would like to thank Verizon for their support and partnership, as well as Mayor Dan Rivera for once again stepping forward to make the unprecedented possible. Like his commitment to replacing LPS technology so we could quickly give devices to families, he did not hesitate to pledge the city’s financial support to making this much-needed internet access available. At a time when the City of Lawrence faces extraordinary demand on its resources, he continues to make LPS families and children a priority. We are grateful.
Thank you all again for your continued support and commitment to your students and our schools, and please continue to be safe and healthy.
Cynthia Paris
Superintendent of Schools
