Larson Announces $11.5 Million for Schools and Libraries to Get Kids Online
Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced that First District schools and libraries have received $11.5 million to date from the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund program (ECF).
“There is no question that in today’s world, students need access to the internet both at home and in school to succeed,” said Larson. “Universal internet access has been a long-standing priority of mine and is why I led the ConneCT96 initiative in the 1990s to get every school and library in the State of Connecticut online. We continued that mission by passing the American Rescue Plan last year. The Emergency Connectivity Fund played a crucial role in keeping students engaged during the pandemic and made strides toward closing the digital divide.”
The ECF was created to cover the costs of school districts to get students lacking internet access online – by purchasing laptops and tablets, equipment for at-home internet access, and connecting students and teachers to the internet in school. Known as the “homework gap,” students without at-home internet access often fall behind their peers as school curriculums more heavily rely on internet-based resources.
The schools, libraries, and organizations that received funding from the Emergency Connectivity Fund are:
- Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, $4,575,870.94
- Bristol Public Schools, $1,472,280
- Manchester Public Schools, $1,137,592.47
- West Hartford Public Schools, $1,136,790.95
- Connecticut Technical High School System, $954,930
- Southington Public Schools, $834,700
- Portland Public Schools, $252,293.40
- Wethersfield Public Schools, $155,295
- Capitol Region Education Council (CREC), $155,026.32
- Newington Public Schools, $146,300
- East Granby Public Schools, $134,000
- East Windsor Public Schools, $119,600
- Jumoke Academy, $99,134.10
- Hartford Public Library, $74,978.70
- Winchester Public Schools, $61,519.50
- Town of Rocky Hill, $56,125
- Cromwell Public Schools, $32,562.57
- East Hartford Public Library, $19,794.54
- Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services, $16,000
- Grace Academy, $10,879.60
- American School for the Deaf, $10,000
- Barkhamsted Elementary School, $6,000
- Madina Academy, $3,190
- Welles Turner Memorial Library, $2,012.64
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