PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – Today (Nov. 20) is the enrollment deadline for the new South Dakota K-12 Connect program.
Gov. Kristi Noem says the program provides free internet service to eligible K-12 students in their homes for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
Eligible South Dakota households should have received a letter identifying a telecommunications company to call to access free internet service through K-12 Connect. If a family believes they are eligible but did not receive a letter, they will need to fill out an Eligibility Form.
For more information and to access the Eligibility Form, visit k12connect.sd.gov; email k12connect@state.sd.us; or call 605-773-3248.
To be eligible for the program, households must meet all of the following:
- Have at least one student currently enrolled in a K-12 school or homeschool; and
- Must meet the income eligibility guidelines for the free and reduced school lunch program; and
- Must not have internet services in the home between July 1, 2020, and present
Once eligibility is determined, providers will install the necessary equipment on a first-come, first-serve basis. Internet service will be provided through June 30, 2021. After that time, the household must return the equipment to the provider or continue services at the household’s expense.
K-12 Connect is a partnership of the South Dakota Governor’s Office, Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, Department of Education, and participating telecommunications companies.
Telecommunications companies that are participating in K-12 Connect include:
- Alliance Communications Cooperative
- Beresford Municipal Telephone Company
- Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority
- Faith Municipal Telephone Company
- Fort Randall Telephone Company
- Golden West Telecommunications
- Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative
- Kennebec Telephone Company
- Long Lines Broadband
- Midco
- Midstate Communications
- RC Technologies
- Santel Communications Cooperative
- Swiftel Communications/Brookings Municipal Telephone
- TrioTel Communications
- Valley Telecommunications Cooperative
- VAST
- Venture Communications Cooperative
- West River Cooperative Telephone Company
- West River Telecommunications Cooperative