Wi-Fi installed in Eastern Idaho school under contract

A little more than a month after the state of Idaho awarded a controversial Wi-Fi contract, one eastern Idaho school district already has it up and running.

The Sugar-Salem School District is the only district in Idaho to have the Wi-Fi up and running. It was installed in early September.

In one English class, students are using a Google shared document to translate the book of “Hamlet” into everyday common English. In another classroom, students are told to head to an educational website to research a topic. Right now, students take the laptops out when they need them and put them away when they don’t.

“That is probably the greatest challenge the students have, is learning how to use a device in a learning atmosphere on a regular basis rather than using it for a recreational purposes,” said Jared Jenks, principal of Sugar-Salem High School.

Teachers will soon be able to see what every single student is doing on their laptops during class time. The technology will be installed early October. Madison County School District is opting out of the Wi-Fi program because it already has its own.

The Wi-Fi contract is a five-year agreement with Education Networks of America. At the end of the five years, the state can decide to extend the contract to 15 years.