The Trumann School District is fortunate. We are entering the third year of our 1:1 technology initiative where 1652 students have their own device. Many students are able to take devices home each day. While belts have been tightened and close scrutiny over budgets is commonplace for all schools, we have been able to provide the essential technological tools needed for students to be today’s successful learners. Beyond the financial means and vision to provide our students with the learning experience to prepare them for the 21st century, we also have a strong partnership with our local Internet service provider. Acquiring and maintaining devices for students poses a significant obstacle for each district to overcome; yet an equally important obstacle for many schools is gaining access to adequate and affordable bandwidth.
Yet again, Trumann is fortunate. Our community has a local service provider who has truly become a partner in our 1:1 technology initiative. Our service provider has not only provided the necessary infrastructure to deliver more than enough reliable bandwidth to support approximately 1800 student devices and has worked with our school district to maximize the use of our bandwidth while maintaining low service costs. In fact, our service provider is so excited about our 1:1 initiative, they committed to a direct partnership with the school district, parents, and students by providing low-cost, high speed, wireless Internet connectivity to student’s homes. As one of sixteen New Tech Schools throughout the state, reliable, affordable connectivity for our students outside the school day is an essential part of the success of our 1:1 initiative and overall learning student learning experience.
