News File Photo A school bus appears in this 2021 News archive photo.

LINCOLN — With a school district covering 400 square miles, Alcona Community Schools students can sometimes ride a bus for three to four hours every day.

To help them make the most of their time and be more productive, the district plans to install Wi-Fi on their entire fleet of school buses, Superintendent Dan O’Connor said. This includes eight regular buses and three to four spare buses.

The school district received a $70,000 grant from the Emergency Connectivity Fund and will use up to $40,000 for the equipment and installation, depending on the total cost. The remaining $30,000 will potentially fund Chromebooks and other devices.

Other components of the project may include hotspots and data for home use. The project will allow students to work on assignments during travel time, giving them a better chance at succeeding, O’Connor said.

Internet access has been a problem for some students in the county’s rural area, O’Connor said. He said that some students are quarantining or remain home for other reasons and need the internet in order to get assignments done on time.

O’Connor said he is aiming for a completion date of Feb. 1. He said that it may be done sooner, but, with the problems obtaining materials, it may take longer.