The state of California will need at least $500 million to ensure that all students have internet access and the technology required for at-home education during the COVID-19 pandemic, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday.
According to Thurmond, about 600,000 students in California are in need of a computer or tablet, and as many as 400,000 students lack internet access at home. Thurmond said the state would welcome funds from all sources, whether from a federal stimulus package or philanthropic internet service providers.
In March, Verizon and the Los Angeles Unified School District announced a partnership to provide internet access to district students, and earlier this month, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged $10 million to Oakland schools.
The state's Department of Education plans to announce its school reopening plans in early June, said Thurmond.
"We've got 10,000 schools," Thurmond said of the state's reopening guidance. "There is no one size fits all. ... We've actually been talking with school districts about the guidance so that we can calibrate it with the work that they're doing, with the plans that they're making so that we also can address questions that they have."