MCS approves WiFi “On-The-Go” for students, parents and employees

MADISON – Madison City Schools is now offering students and their parents an affordable internet access that helps raise money for the schools.

The Madison City Board of Education approved an agreement last Thursday with LeanStream to offer a portable WiFi platform to Madison City students, parents and employees.
The school system has rolled out a “Wi-Fi on the Go” program through LeanStream that for a $50 donation each month will provide students and their parents a broadband device and give them internet access anywhere there is a cellphone signal.

“This is a really unique fundraising idea,” said Jana Gray, the school district’s chief financial officer. “There are multiple school districts that have used it and they love it. It’s a great program.”

LeanStream, which was designed by K-12 professionals as a fundraising platform, provides donors with a hot spot mobile device and unlimited wireless internet access that uses T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network.

School officials say the new service provides a secure WiFi network anywhere. “It can be used to surf the internet, to stream and to connect computers, tablets, tvs, gaming consoles, or anything else that uses the internet. Its portability enables use whether at a park, on vacation, in a hotel, in friends’ apartments, at the lake or anywhere else.”

Gray said even though the program is for students, if a senior signs up for it now they will be able to continue it when they leave. “It would make a good graduation present,” Gray said.

About $20 of each monthly donation for the Wi-Fi program will go into the Madison City Schools Safety and Security Fund for more school resource officers and security enhancements.

To access the school district’s LeanStream site, go to the MCS home page at www.madisoncity.k12.al.us and click the “GIVE” button. To sign up for the program, just click WiFi on the Go, fill out the form and submit the $50 donation. The hotspot will be shipped through the mail.

The LeanStream site also has information about other ways to donate to the Madison City Schools.

Gray said the school district started using LeanStream last year to help fund part of the safety and security measures in the schools. It has also been used by teachers to help fund-raise for their various projects.