School district: No Internet would be ‘devastating’ to students

If the state does not come up with funding in the next two weeks, some high school seniors’ graduation could be put on hold.

That’s because CenturyLink, which is providing Internet service to schools, hasn’t been paid by the state.

It hasn’t received payment because a judge voided CenturyLink’s contract with the state.

The state received an ultimatum from CenturyLink, a provider of broadband that services state school districts.

Unless the company receives payment the Idaho Education Network program may go dark Feb. 22.

Sugar-Salem School District says this simply can’t happen.

“If the state were not able to fund the Idaho Education Network and the students did not receive credit for their courses they were currently taking and be able to finish the courses, obviously that would be devastating,” said Sugar-Salem High School Principal Jared Jenks.

Almost 50 percent of Sugar Salem juniors and seniors take advanced IEN classes.

Senior Tanner Puzey has been taking the interactive IEN courses since he was a sophomore.

He says if the program was shut down, students would be at a disadvantage.

“I think that if it was taken away, I think we would lose a valuable part of the college experience I guess as close as you can get in high school,” said Puzey.

High school students can take college credit classes through the IEN broadband.
The state of Idaho awards 36 hours of free transferable college credit to students who complete graduation requirements by the end of their junior year.

The IEN is how districts offer dual credit to honor this.

Sugar-Salem IEN coordinator Fred Wooley said this program saves millions of dollars a year.

“Each student pays less than they would going to a local university and that’s savings in the pockets of all the parents,” said Wooley.

Superintendent Alan Dunn also said every student in their district has a personal laptop and not having Internet would disrupt learning in the classroom.

The IEN program is the only way students in rural areas are able to take college credit courses as well as classes like Latin and others that aren’t offered at their school.