Google to provide high quality internet access, chromebooks as California schools remain closed

LOS ANGELES - Students in California won’t be returning to school this academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But students will continue with their classwork from home, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

“We should not prepare to bring our children back into the school setting,” the governor said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“The right thing to do for our children, the right thing for parents, for households, the communities which they reside in is to make sure that we are preparing today to set our school system up where we are increasing class time but increasing it at home, and fulfilling our obligations to distance learning and other mechanisms that we are educating our kids but not on school sites,” Newsom stated. 

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The governor assured the public that while students are learning at home they will continue to receive meals.

Newsom said the sate obtained a waiver from the federal government that will increase access to food distribution. 

To help students and parents during this pandemic the governor also announced a new partnership with tech-giant Google. 

He says Google will be providing 100,000 points of access to improve Wi-Fi and broadband access across the state of California. 

Californians will now have three free months of high quality broadband access. Newsom also said Google will be providing thousands of chromebooks. 

“Those 100,000 points will help us substantially address the digital divide issues, rural issues, equity issues that are at play,” he said. 
 

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