During a special Bartlesville Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, 275 cellular hotspots were purchased to help Bartlesville Public Schools through the pandemic and beyond.

Superintendent Chuck McCauley said this will help them tear down a divisional divide for the students and staff that may not have internet at home. He said Granger Meador, the Executive Director of Technology & Communications for BPS, surveyed all secondary students to get feedback before Spring Break.

The survey produced the number of hotspots the Bartlesville Board of Education believed they needed to purchase. This is to cover every student and staff member that may need the device moving forward.

Currently, all schools in Oklahoma are not teaching instruction until after April 6th because of concerns over COVID-19. This was advice from the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Governor Kevin Stitt that school districts across the state are following.

Superintendent McCauley said the hotspots are being purchased to help them should the OSDE decide to cancel school for the semester like Kansas did on Tuesday. He said he believes they will move to online instruction, and the new purchase will push them ahead.

The OSDE is expected to provide more plans for the future on Wednesday, March 25th.

Even if students are able to come back to school on April 6th, McCauley said he believes the hotspots will help BPS teach courses during days where there might be inclement weather. He said it could even be taken on a trip a student athlete might take. The goal is to help students keep up with the material being taught in the classroom if they need to be away.

The hotspots have been on the radar for quite some time for BPS. McCauley said COVID-19 just escalated their thinking, which is another reason why they purchased the devices on Wednesday. He said we will go through the pandemic, and we will all come away with more knowledge that will help us in the future.

This purchase will also help BPS compete. McCauley said there are several online options for schools. He added that charter schools (i.e. Epic) are shut down completely until April 6th, unless the Oklahoma State Department of Education suggests otherwise.

For the full interview with Superintendent Chuck McCauley, click on the video below: