Austin school district deploys Wi-Fi buses for students without internet

Austin, Texas, public schools are deploying buses with Wi-Fi to help students access the internet as classes have been moved online indefinitely. 

The Austin Independent School District announced Friday that 110 Wi-Fi buses were being sent to neighborhoods and apartments identified as having the highest needs, KUT-Austin reported. 

Students who live near the bus locations will be able to access the internet on their school computers on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Students must be within 300 feet of the buses for access. 

The district said the Wi-Fi-equipped buses are funded through a grant from a wireless provider Kajeet worth more than $600,000, KUT reports. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has closed schools statewide through at least May 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Travis County, where Austin is located, has 856 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths, according to county data. 

Statewide there are 13,906 COVID-19 cases and 287 deaths, the Texas health department says.