Broadband Dan: Lt. Gov. to Announce NC as First State in Nation to Connect Every K-12 School to High Speed Internet

GRAHAM – Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest will be joined by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai next Tuesday, May 22, to celebrate a milestone for the North Carolina school system, and a first in the nation – every K-12 school in the Old North State is now connected to high speed broadband internet.

In a press release Forest said the accomplishment can go a long way toward bridging education divides.

Chairman Pai will join Lt. Governor Forest and state officials to celebrate North Carolina’s achievement of equipping every single public-school classroom with high-speed broadband. This accomplishment will bridge the education divide by providing opportunity for an excellent education to all public-school students. Graham High School was selected because of the continued growth the school has seen from their students since beginning their digital transformation in 2015. In 2017, the school opened 6 STEM Classrooms and rolled out their 1:1 Chromebook initiative.

At a time where teachers are marching in the streets, in part due to frustration with the lack of school supplies and educational resources, 100 percent internet connectivity will be an invaluable tool to help students and teachers leapfrog supply bottlenecks and modernize education.

Forest has leveraged the relatively weak office of lieutenant governor to lead the charge on tangible educational reforms and technology initiatives, a style in sharp contrast to Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper who prefers to use his bully pulpit to merely smear Republicans as anti-education and demand more money.

The celebration will be held at Graham High School at 1PM on Tuesday to highlight the public-private partnerships and combined work of the state, federal, and local agencies that made North Carolina the first state to connect every single classroom to high-speed broadband.

With Forest’s focus and accomplishments on the education front, he may very well be taking away one of Cooper’s signature campaign issues in a hypothetical 2020 match up.

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