DEED Spotlight on Innovation in Distance Education, Aleutians East Borough School District

The Aleutians East Borough School District (AEBSD) is located in Southwestern Alaska along the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Chain. The District boundaries stretches over approximately 15,000 square miles. Aleutians East has approximately 250 students within its four schools. 

AEBSD started school on August 24. Because the region doesn’t have any active cases of COVID-19 and is considered low-risk, students were able to start in-person in socially distanced classrooms. According to AEBSD’s Alaska Smart Start 2020 plan, instruction will transition to distance learning if the risk level advances to high-risk. Distance learning in AEBSD looks different than in the more urban districts. AEBSD has very limited and unreliable internet access, even cell service is spotty, which means virtual classrooms aren’t a viable option. In March when school buildings statewide closed to students, AEBSD staff assembled paper work packets that were distributed to students by bus with their lunches. Completed work packets were picked up by bus, or could be returned to drop buckets at the schools. This system of distance learning got students through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, but the administration knew a better system needed to be in place for the long-term. 

AEBSD requested a waiver of the FCC to expand the district’s E-rate broadband for use outside of school buildings into the broader communities, but their appeal was denied. Current law only allows E-rate funded broadband for classrooms. Not to be deterred, AEBSD took matters into their own hands and built a digital content delivery system that works without internet. The district installed radio towers to create an area-wide network of unlicensed radio frequencies to beam educational content to students’ homes. Students can download and submit assignments, take tests and quizzes, and communicate with teachers – all without internet. The district funded the cost of the project, so the new network is free to students. Learn more about AEBSD’s new network for virtual learning. 

Thank you, AEBSD, for your innovation and commitment to equity in distance education.