PECOS, Texas — Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD is partnering with SpaceX to help students in the area get access to the internet.
Starlink will provide over 260 students free access to high-speed internet.
PBTISD will be the second school district in Texas to receive this service. Ector County ISD received the help of the Starlink program back in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought awareness to the lack of internet access in rural areas.
According to the Texas Education Agency, around 1.8 million students don't have reliable internet access at home.
"We recognize we have a real problem here in Pecos as well, too, with our district boundaries stretching to Orla, Red Bluff area by New Mexico, all the way down south of I-10, with many remote areas from Toyah to Barstow and in between. So, we wanted to work to help our students out and work to close that digital divide and support our students," said Superintendent Brent Jaco.
This project has been funded by the Permian Basin Strategic Partnership, along with donations from XTO Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Chevron, Blake Oil and Gas and EOG Resources.