Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, with assistance from the Permian Basin Strategic Partnership, is proud to announce a new innovative opportunity whereby students in rural areas will access high-speed low-latency broadband internet using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system. PBTISD will be the second school district in Texas to offer Starlink internet to its students.
PBTISD is committed to finding ways to support our students' educational development away from campus. With this initial project, over 260 PBTISD students will now have access to high-speed internet in the most remote areas of the school district’s boundary.
The pa
ndemic revealed the effects of the digital divide in education: teachers and students who lacked access to the Internet or sufficient technology and digital skills were out of the loop. The “digital divide” is a growing concern when advancements in technology do not necessarily benefit rural areas, that technology can leave those areas further behind.
“The digital divide is real and a struggle many students in PBTISD face,” said Superintendent Brent Jaco. “Though we provide 1-to-1 devices to our students, those devices cannot work at times without stable internet connectivity. Thus, with our new Starlink contract, we will eliminate that struggle for 10% of our students. We are continually exploring ways to support our students and provide them opportunities to continue their learning beyond the four walls of the classroom.”
This PBTISD agreement with SpaceX is funded through the generous donations of Chevron, EOG Resources, Blake Oil & Gas, Pioneer Natural Resources, and XTO Energy.
“We recognize that students need reliable internet access to learn effectively from home in our increasingly digital world,” said Jonathan Harshman, Chevron's Public and Government Affairs Advisor. “Chevron and our generous industry partners are proud to support PBTISD in enabling stable internet connectivity for hundreds of its students who need it the most.”
“We are incredibly grateful for partners like the Permian Strategic Partnership and our donors, as well as SpaceX, and its ability to provide a unique Internet solution to families and students in remote areas,” said Brent Jaco. “As a district, we are committed to supporting our students, and we will continue to explore innovative solutions to meet their needs.”
Students of the initial project will receive their Starlink internet access beginning August 2022, in time for the new school year.
About Permian Strategic Partnership
The Permian Strategic Partnership is a coalition of 20 leading Permian Basin energy companies who joined together to work in partnership with leaders across the communities of the region to address current and future challenges to the responsible development of the vast oil and gas resources of the Permian Basin in the states of New Mexico and Texas. The PSP member companies are: Apache, bpx energy, Chevron, Cimarex, Concho, ConocoPhilips, Devon, Diamondback, Endeavor, EOG Resources, Haliburton, Occidental, Ovintiv, Parsley Energy, Pioneer, Plains All American, Schlumberger, Shell, WPX Energy, and XTO Energy. For more information, visit www.permianpartnership.org