ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County Public Schools has switched to a mix of in-person and virtual learning this year because of COVID-19, but the online aspect is proving difficult for some families in rural parts of the county.
Amanda Purdy moderates a Facebook group for Masons Cove Elementary School parents. She said more than 20 parents have expressed concerns about not having enough signal to sign on for virtual learning.
“All the way up Carvins Cove Road, all the way up Bradshaw Road, up on top of the mountain...they have nothing,” Purdy said.
Roanoke County Schools has handed out laptops and hotspots to students. However, Purdy says some of the hotspots are unusable because there is no cellphone signal in the affected areas.
“When it comes to online, we just can’t do it,” Purdy said. “We can’t get the access, and we’re not going to sit in the car for two or three hours to find a spot.”
Gov. Ralph Northam remarked on the lack of rural broadband in Virginia during a stop in Roanoke on Wednesday. He said his administration has noticed the issue and is taking steps to get internet to everyone.
“We increased our broadband funding last year from $4 million to $19 million. This year, we’re putting more than $80 million in to get to that last mile,” Northam said. “More than 500,000 households, believe it or not, do not have access to broadband. We want to make sure with the virtual learning that’s taking place, that everyone can have access.”
Purdy said she has thought of a solution. She is offering companies a piece of her land to build a cellphone tower so that all of Roanoke County can receive service.
“Go put the poles up,” Purdy said. “I don’t care where, I don’t care what they do. Yes, I love my land, and no, I don’t want it scarred up, but this is necessary.”