Staff Report

EAST LIVERPOOL –Last month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) awarded East Liverpool City Schools $34,000 to purchase WiFi hotspots, modems and broadband connectivity for its students that don’t have internet in their homes as well as an additional $13,582 to purchase tables for district preschoolers, according to district spokeswoman Megan Hernandez.

The ECF is a $7.17 billion program that helps schools and libraries provide the tools and services to assist communities with remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Eligible recipients can use the program to cover purchase of reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers as well as connectivity items for off-campus use, according to the FCC website.