WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – About 51,000 K-12 public school students in Detroit will receive computer tablets and high-speed internet to help transition from classroom to virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic in one of the nation's poorest big cities.
Schools across Michigan closed in March as part of the state's stay home order to slow the spread of the virus. And while many suburban districts quickly moved teaching online, Detroit lagged because nine out of 10 students don’t have access to tablets, computers or the internet. “When our executive team began prioritizing COVID-19 relief efforts, the issue of digital inequity for Detroit students rose to the top,” said Jerry Norcia, president and chief executive of DTE Energy.