BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Illinois’ state superintendent required all school districts to implement remote learning beginning Tuesday, March 31.
While many schools have already moved their coursework online, one district is making sure its students, and those from neighboring districts, have access to WiFi.
Belleville Township High School District 201 has four buses with WiFi hotpots.
The buses are normally used for long, extra-curricular road trips.
Now, they’re stationed at various parks for three hours a day, five days a week.
“We don’t really know the exact timeline that we’re working under, and the extension of that timeline, so the longer this goes on, the more crucial it is that we provide students the opportunity to connect,” Assistant Superintendent Brian Mentzer said.
Any student, even from another district, is welcome to use the WiFi for their schoolwork. It works as far as 300 feet from the bus, so the students don’t even have to get on board.
"Upload information, download the stuff that they need for the next day, then they can go work,” he said.
Here’s the bus schedule:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Moody Park
- Hough Park
- Mel Price Park
- Citizens Park
Tuesday/Thursday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Downtown Belleville YMCA
- Centennial Park
- Bellevue Park
- Laderman Park