OCALA, Fla. — Schools all over Central Florida are working to make sure kids are getting the access to distance learning material, but this is presenting challenges for some students who don't have Wi-Fi at home.
Marion County school leaders are working to get more students online.
Some homes are fortunate enough to have a reliable Wi-Fi signal. But in rural areas, that’s not always the case.
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Marion County Public Schools is now working to bring parking lot Wi-Fi to some schools.
"Many areas in Marion County don't have cell service, therefore you can get reliable Wi-Fi,” said Kevin Christian, with Marion County Public Schools.
Marion County Public Schools is working with City of Ocala that installed fiber optics equipment at schools like Vanguard High.
Once it’s in place, students and parents will be able to drive in, park and then log on to access their assignments.
"We hope that those students and families at home, that don't have that reliable internet service will take advantage of this,” Christian said. “This service is going to be at 10 schools in rural areas and give them access to that free Wi-Fi from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., five days a week."
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The parking lot Wi-Fi is coming to Belleview Middle, Dunnellon, Forest High and Fort McCoy, among several others.
"I think people are going to come there and accomplish what they need to accomplish and then move on,” Christian. “Nobody wants to sit in a parking lot for eight hours, especially in the heat of the Florida sun or rainy weather.”
And if requested, students are still able to get packets of work instead of doing everything online.
"Those schools will print those packets and put them in a box outside and the families come by at their convenience to pick it up," Christian said.
However, the district won’t be collecting all of the paperwork. It has to be uploaded or emailed to teachers.
Officials said the Wi-Fi will be firewall protected so students will only be able to access school related sites.