Freehold Boro Schools Receive $24K To Close Digital Divide

FREEHOLD, NJ - Freehold Borough students may be able to learn remotely a bit easier thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), which recently pledged to provide $24,000 to the school district for expanded connectivity help during the extended remote learning period.

Since March, the NJPRF - created to address the economic, social and medical impact of COVID-19 - has raised $37 million and provided over $19 million in aid to 460 nonprofits in all 21 counties throughout the state. Freehold Borough serves as one of nine districts across New Jersey sharing a total $2.6 million from the NJPRF to help bridge the digital divide exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. School districts in Newark, Paterson, Bridgeton, Red Bank, Millville, Passaic, Old Bridge and Trenton are also receiving funding to purchase laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, and internet access required for remote learning.

“In today’s world, having access to a computer and internet access is not a luxury, but a necessity,” said New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, the founding chair of NJPRF. “We are hopeful that our commitment - alongside that of others - will address this pressing need so students can continue learning through the pandemic.”

NJPRF’s contribution to Freehold Borough will cover the cost of 100 WiFi hotspots currently in use for the last six months of the ‘20-21 school year and 50 brand-new hotspots for an entire year of service.

"Freehold Borough is very grateful to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund for helping the district offset the costs of Internet connectivity for our students,” the district said in a statement. “This has allowed us to fully connect all of our students to the Internet so that they can have fully robust virtual learning experiences during this time of unexpected disruptions due to COVID-19. On behalf of our students, we thank the leaders of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund for this timely and targeted financial assistance."

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the decision made by many New Jersey school districts to move to remote or hybrid learning has exposed a “digital divide” between students: students in wealthier districts possess devices and broadband internet access and those in less affluent districts who do not.

Nearly 40,000 students across the state are left without a device, internet connectivity or both, according to the New Jersey Department of Education. Without access to stable connection or technology, students in remote schools are at a major disadvantage.

“This is another great example of NJPRF channeling the energy and resources of New Jersey to fill in the gaps," said NJPRF CEO Josh Weinreich, "and ensure every child has the equipment and access they need so that their education is not interrupted."