Home computer and broadband access contributes to a “homework gap,” but Idaho’s access rates are mixed.
According to an analysis by the Associated Press, about 17 percent of the nation’s students have no access to a home computer, and 18 percent of students have no access to broadband at home.
The AP analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data from all 50 states. Among the numbers, about 11 percent of Idaho’s students have no access to a home computer — which translates to about 60,000 students. And of those students who do have computer access, 11 percent have no access to the Internet. Factoring the two numbers together shows slightly more than a fifth of Idaho’s students have no way to go online to finish their homework.
The best access rate in the state in in Moscow, where about 3.5 percent of students have no home computer. The worst access was reported in Kamiah, whose school district showed more than 23 percent of students without a home computer.
Soda Springs has the best Internet access rate in Idaho, with less than 6 percent of students are without it. The Madison district has the state’s poorest access rate, with more than 19 percent percent of students without Internet. (IdahoEdNews.org, Idaho Statesman)
