A new Department of Public Instruction (DPI) says that 100% of traditional public school districts currently have a 1-to-1 digital device-to-student ratio, though many districts are struggling to replace old or damaged devices due to a lack of funding.

Dr. Ashley McBride, a digital learning initiative consultant at DPI, the Statewide Trends in Student Digital Learning Access report at the State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

The compiles data on students鈥� access to digital devices in and out of school, as well as their out-of-school internet access, from 115 school districts and 239 charter, lab, and regional schools. Among those 239 nontraditional schools, 84% had a 1-to-1 digital device-to-student ratio.

The report says that in total, these public school units had 1,190,045 digital devices available for students in 2024-25. Chrome devices make up 90.3% of this fleet; 8.7% were Windows devices, and Apple devices made up 1%.

Students can take less than half of these devices home, as 56% of them must stay on school campuses.

鈥淭ogether, these findings demonstrate that North Carolina continues to rely heavily on school-issued, portable devices to support both in-school instruction and extended learning opportunities beyond the school day,鈥� the report says.

The also included findings from a survey on out-of-school devices with responses from families representing 55,082 students.

In this sample, 42% of families said their student uses a school-provided device at home, while a third said their student uses a device owned by the family. Around one in five families reported that their student has access to both family-owned and school-provided devices at home. However, 4% of families reported their student does not have access to a digital device at home.

Families who did not have devices at home said they were too expensive, they chose not to purchase one, or the devices they owned were broken, damaged, or outdated, according to the report.

A survey with 36,365 respondent families found that 93% had consistent and adequate internet access for their students at home. Families with limited or no access to the internet at home said that was due to high costs or the internet connection not being dependable.

Still, those families described several alternatives they use to ensure their students can access the internet, including using the internet at public libraries, hot spots, other people鈥檚 homes, school parking lots, among other options.

鈥淢y rural county, still one third of it, does not have internet capability. And after Helene, many parts of our community do not have Wi-Fi coverage, nor do they have cell coverage. That鈥檚 typical in the western part of the state,鈥� said Board member John Blackburn, who represents the state鈥檚 Northwest region. 鈥淚 just want to remind everybody that there are still points of darkness in the state of North Carolina.鈥�

Beckie Spears, , said that her rural elementary school had one Chromebook cart per grade level prior to 2020. Now, there鈥檚 one in every classroom, she said, but the devices are aging and the district doesn鈥檛 鈥渉ave any ways to replace them.鈥�

鈥淭he reality is we have stretched every resource as far as we can, and in Tier 1 counties and Tier 2 counties where local funds are not accessible, this is a real and urgent problem that needs attention from our legislators,鈥� Spears said.

The report says that these findings highlight the importance of school-provided digital devices for students. But since pandemic-era funding from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) and the Emergency Connectivity Funds (ECF) has ended, many schools are struggling to sustain student device programs.

McBride鈥檚 presentation said 88 out of the state鈥檚 traditional school districts 鈥� nearly 77% 鈥� as well as 97 charter, lab, and regional schools, don鈥檛 have dedicated funds to refresh students鈥� school-provided digital devices.

鈥淟arge portions of the current device fleet have aged beyond expected lifespans, resulting in higher failure rates, declining performance, and reduced reliability for both classroom and at home use,鈥� the report says.

The report says some schools have limited or stopped take-home access for their device fleets because they don鈥檛 have inventory to replace them.

According to McBride, prior to ESSER funding, only 16 school districts had a 1-to-1 digital device-to-student ratio.

DPI recommends that the state allocate recurring funding to support student device programs to reduce reliance on short-term federal funding, according to the report. This legislative session, for a 1-to-1 device refresh over a four-year period.

The report also recommends providing statewide guidance on devices鈥� life cycle management, including cost considerations and multiyear budgeting strategies. The department also recommends using data systems to track devices鈥� age, availability, and take-home capacity, and 鈥渆xploring how to improve parental participation in reporting on home connectivity and device access.鈥�

This first appeared on and is republished here under a .

Indiana鈥檚 Senate Education Committee on Wednesday advanced two bills aimed at reshaping how young Hoosiers interact with technology 鈥� one that would restrict minors鈥� access to social media platforms and another that would require schools to strengthen technology plans and give parents greater control over at-home device use.

, authored by committee chair Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond, passed the panel 11-2 and was recommitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it must be approved before moving to the full chamber.

Democrats Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, were the only 鈥渘o鈥� votes against the social media.

The measure contains multiple provisions, but a highly-discussed section would substantially restrict minors鈥� access to social media. Under the proposal, social media companies like Meta would be required to obtain written parental permission before a minor under age 18 could create an account.

social media restriction language but ultimately stalled in the House.

Supporters argued in committee that the bill is a response to growing concerns over social media鈥檚 impact on children鈥檚 mental health and school environments.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner emphasized the toll she said social media is taking on students across Hoosier schools.

鈥淔or most of us in the room, social media arrived when we were already well into adulthood,鈥� Jenner said, adding that 鈥渙ur children growing up today do not have that same luxury鈥� of a childhood free from constant comparison, cyberbullying, algorithm-driven content and addictive features.

But critics raised concerns about enforcement, privacy and rights of students.

Samantha Bresnahan with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, for example, argued that such restrictions could infringe on minors鈥� constitutional rights and require intrusive data collection to verify age and consent.

Parents get more say

, authored by Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, takes a different tack on technology.

The measure, which passed the education committee 12-1, would require Indiana鈥檚 traditional public and charter schools to include in their technology plans a description of how they will enable parents to exercise control over school-provided devices when they are not in school and strengthen internet use and wireless communication policies.

If approved, schools must adopt policies by Jan. 1, 2027, that would let parents increase the strength of content filters on school-issued devices and limit the time students can use those devices outside school hours. The bill also directs schools to prohibit use of school equipment 鈥渇or noneducational purposes during instructional time.鈥�

Hunley was the lone vote against the proposal.

鈥淚 think that our school boards can already do this if they would like to,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a big fan of home rule and local control, and I think that the level of government that鈥檚 closest to the school building should be the one to make this decision and enact this policy, not the state.鈥�

Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, voted in favor but urged additional consideration of how parental controls might apply during e-learning days.

鈥淲e talked about the parental controls on an e-learning day, that (parents) may not want a YouTube video or a TikTok or pick-your-poison that may be used in structure for the educational experience,鈥� she told Deery. 鈥淚 just encourage you to look into that.鈥�

Democrats also pressed for clarity on potential costs to schools.

Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, asked whether districts might need to spend money to implement stronger parental controls.

Deery said his office could not identify any examples where Hoosier schools would take on additional costs because most already contract with vendors that offer such functionality. 鈥�

We鈥檝e yet to find any institution that does not have a contract with a vendor that does not offer this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e confirmed with virtually all of the major vendors. So, I鈥檓 not aware of (any costs schools would incur).鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.

Ohio鈥檚 largest school district recently started using surveillance software on students鈥� devices.

Columbus City Schools partnered with Gaggle 鈥� a Texas-based student safety technology company that provides constant surveillance 鈥� at the end of last school year, district spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant said in an email.

鈥淭his is an added layer of security to ensure students are not visiting unapproved sites,鈥� she said in an email. 鈥淕aggle employs advanced technology and human insight to review students鈥� use of online tools 24/7/365 days a week and provides real-time analysis, swiftly flagging any potentially concerning behavior or content; this includes signs of self-harm, depression, substance abuse, cyberbullying, or other harmful situations.鈥�

Gaggle is currently partnered with about 1,500 school districts across the country, but would not answer how many of those districts are in Ohio, Gaggle spokesperson Shelby Goldman said.

鈥淲e have a practice to not answer questions about specific school districts,鈥� she said in an email.

Ohio鈥檚 three largest school districts 鈥� Columbus, and 鈥� use Gaggle. Cleveland did not answer questions the Ohio Capital Journal sent about Gaggle.

Cincinnati Public Schools started using Gaggle in 2013 and it is active for all grades, according to the district. It costs the district $323,780 to use Gaggle.

鈥淐incinnati Public Schools prioritizes the safety and well-being of its students and staff, and utilizes Gaggle to monitor threats for individual student safety and the safety of each school community,鈥� according to the district. 鈥淭he District monitors content on District-provided devices and applications based on specific language and phrases, generating trigger alerts for review, rather than continuous monitoring.鈥�

Gaggle, which started in the 1990s, monitors school platforms such as Google Workspaces and Microsoft Office 365, but does not look at students鈥� personal email addresses or private social media accounts.

鈥淕aggle is an early warning system that identifies children in crisis so that schools can intervene before a tragedy happens,鈥� Goldman said in an email. 鈥淕aggle partners with school districts to help them monitor student activity on the technology (devices and accounts) provided by the school district.鈥�

The company estimates it helped save , according to their report from last fall.

鈥淲e believe finding the right balance between monitoring for safety purposes and protecting student privacy and confidentiality is important, and we鈥檙e committed to continuing to support districts in achieving both,鈥� Goldman said in an email.

Gaggle uses Artificial Intelligence technology to spot things that could be an issue and a Human Safety Team reviews them before contacting the school.

鈥淥ur reviewers are looking at the context to determine if an item is related to an actual concern or maybe a simple reference to something that is harmless when in context,鈥� Goldman said in an email.

Gaggle can flag things as early warning signs or an imminent threat, which is treated with a higher level of urgency. It altered Ohio school districts to 1,275 student incidents that required immediate intervention in 2021, according to an .

Columbus City Schools, which has about 47,000 students, is implementing Gaggle in middle and high schools. Students can鈥檛 opt out of it.

The district signed two contracts with Gaggle 鈥� the first for $58,492.40 in January and $99,180 in June, according to school board documents.

During the district鈥檚 Gaggle pilot from April 2022 to December 2023, 3,942 pieces of content were looked at by Gaggle鈥檚 Safety Team which led to 226 鈥渁ctionable student safety concerns that were sent to Emergency Contacts,鈥� according to a school board document.

Even though Sharon Kim鈥檚 two students are in elementary school and won鈥檛 yet be affected by the district鈥檚 Gaggle implementation, she is concerned about the district using surveillance technology.

鈥淪chool should be a safe place for our kids,鈥� Kim said. 鈥淭hey spend so much time in their lives at school, it should be a place where they feel safe, not where they feel like they鈥檙e being monitored and surveilled every single minute of the day. I really feel that this kind of surveillance is a huge hindrance to that.鈥�

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But the narrow, 45-day window for districts to apply comes in the middle of the summer as leaders are scrambling to prepare for a new school year and face a host of unknowns.

鈥淚 think a lot of schools are going to say, 鈥榃e can鈥檛 do it,鈥欌�� said Evan Marwell, CEO of nonprofit Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit working to improve at-home broadband service for students.

If they don鈥檛 apply for the new , part of the American Rescue Plan, districts could miss out on critical funding at a time when demand for remote learning options this fall is increasing. While most say they鈥檙e committed to fully reopening, concerns about rising COVID-19 cases are prompting more parents to push for virtual learning. The question is whether students 鈥� especially those in lower-income homes 鈥� will still have to contend with glitchy Zoom sessions or getting kicked off line in the middle of submitting assignments.

Home internet access has increased substantially in recent years, but 11 percent of families still depend on mobile devices for service, according to released last month from New America and Rutgers University. Among those with at-home broadband service, more than half described their service as too slow.

A by the Consortium for School Networking, a professional group for district technology leaders, showed that almost three-quarters of respondents said they plan to apply for the new federal funds. But only 170 members took the survey. A spokeswoman for the Federal Communications Commission, which runs the program, said the agency doesn鈥檛 have data on how many districts have applied so far. Christine Fox, senior director of external relations at the Consortium, added that some districts are waiting for a second application window, but the FCC said there鈥檚 no guarantee there will be one.

鈥楥OVID numbers increasing鈥�

Arkansas is among the states where some districts are applying for the technology fund and seeing a growing demand for remote learning. Applications from districts that want to offer virtual academies have been pouring into the education department. In mid-June, Don Benton, assistant commissioner for research and technology, had received 125 requests. By last week, most of those had been approved, with at least another 75 pending.

Benton expected as much, with 鈥淐OVID numbers increasing 鈥� due the abysmal number of people getting vaccinated and taking the vaccination, social distancing, and precautions seriously.鈥� Less than half of the state鈥檚 vaccine-eligible population has had one dose, according to .

In other parts of the country, many districts decided to continue offering virtual learning to accommodate parent demand 鈥� even before COVID cases began to rise again. showed two-thirds of the nation鈥檚 top districts will offer virtual academies, and the Austin Independent School District in Texas, even its virtual learning program for elementary students outside the district.

The Harrison School District in northwest Arkansas is among those putting final touches on a connectivity fund application and planning to use the money for more hotspots.

Susan Gilley, the district鈥檚 executive director of federal programs, said she鈥檚 most concerned about students having reliable internet and those 鈥渢hat live so remotely that even cellular Wi-Fi is unavailable.鈥� The district is allowing remote learning for third grade and above.

The 2,700-student district supplied 100 families with hotspots last school year and plans to increase that to 1,000, Gilley said. The district also hopes to purchase 1,100 devices for students and outfit its entire fleet of 37 buses with Wi-Fi routers, up from eight last year.

But some experts want districts to think beyond devices.

鈥淒istricts for the most part have plenty of tools already,鈥� said Joseph South, chief learning officer at the International Society for Technology in Education.

The uncertainty about reopening means districts need to be ready to adapt to changing situations, he said. Even if schools don鈥檛 close completely this fall because of positive case rates, there have already been examples of students being .

Successful models, South said, 鈥渞equire an approach where technology is being used face-to-face in ways that are effective each day, but that also lay a foundation for a shift to more reliance on the technology if face-to-face engagement has to be curtailed.鈥�

Benton, in Arkansas, added that if districts are going to allow remote learning, he鈥檇 like them to give parents better information on how to keep students at home on track. A from the University of Missouri showed that the transition to remote learning put particular stress on Black families who often lacked reliable internet and the technological know-how to keep students connected.

鈥淲e can have the best technology, teachers and tools available, but without quality family engagement, we are missing a huge piece for student success,鈥� Benton said.

鈥楴ot all hotspots are equal鈥�

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is similar to an existing internet discount program for schools and libraries, known as E-Rate. Funds can cover the cost of devices, hotspots and routers on Wi-Fi-enabled buses. Larger districts with technology departments might be in a better position to develop strong plans and meet the program鈥檚 requirements, Marwell said. But others might just buy more hotspots because that鈥檚 easier than negotiating a plan with an internet provider to provide service to students鈥� homes.

In general, hotspots are only as good as the surrounding cell service, meaning they provide spotty connections in a lot of rural areas and often aren鈥檛 strong enough for multiple family members to be online at one time. Wired connections, linked to fiber-optic cable, are faster and more reliable, but many communities still don鈥檛 have service. That鈥檚 one need the infrastructure bill, which the Senate was expected to pass Tuesday, would address.

Hotspots 鈥渨orked great for some students,鈥� Marwell said, 鈥渂ut that didn鈥檛 work well for a lot of students.鈥�

After a year in which some students had no face-to-face learning, researchers have a better handle on where the nation鈥檚 broadband infrastructure fell short in meeting the needs of families with multiple children learning at home.

As the nation transitioned to remote work and learning, complaints to the FCCskyrocketed, according to a recent Carnegie Mellon University . Most users complained that providers offered faster 鈥渄ownstream鈥� service 鈥� the ability to download files or videos 鈥� than the 鈥渦pstream鈥� capabilities needed to submit files like school assignments.

鈥淭he implications for [internet service providers] are obvious,鈥� the authors wrote. 鈥淓ven after COVID-19 has been tamed, we will probably see more people working and going to school from home than before the pandemic.鈥� The authors said providers will have to reconsider the speed customers need to upload data 鈥渙r risk becoming less competitive.鈥�

Companies marketing internet solutions to districts are also trying to address families鈥� frustrations with unreliable service. Last month, Kajeet 鈥� known for enabling school buses to blast Wi-Fi into neighborhoods with limited broadband 鈥� launched its new , a fixed connection suitable for households with multiple family members online.

Michael Flood, Kajeet鈥檚 senior vice president for education and general manager, added that hotspots are still a better solution for students who aren鈥檛 always learning at home. 鈥淣ot all hotspots are equal,鈥� he said, adding that some are five times as fast as the ones many districts purchased and distributed last year.

In Congress, Democrats in the House and Senate are hoping to turn the temporary Emergency Connectivity Fund into a five-year, $40 billion program. The proposed could turn up as future legislation under the $3.5 trillion Democrats unveiled Monday.

For now, districts are trying to comply with the fine print for the new program. That includes estimating how many students need devices or internet service.

Another requirement is that districts can鈥檛 use the funds to provide devices or broadband to students who have been served under another state or federal program, such as last year鈥檚 relief funds. In fact, in some districts where students already had devices, officials used those earlier funds to pay for at-home internet. That鈥檚 one reason why they鈥檙e waiting for a second application window as their needs this year become clearer.

The connectivity fund 鈥渋s an off-shoot of a program that has a history of being tight on rules and regulations,鈥� Marwell said, referring to E-Rate. 鈥淭he last thing a school wants to do is spend a million on home broadband and find out they didn鈥檛 follow these rules.鈥�