Coachella schools providing free Wi-Fi on buses and at home

THERMAL, Calif. (KABC) -- A school district in Riverside County has begun providing free Wi-Fi to students on school buses - and in their home neighborhoods.

The buses equipped with Wi-Fi by the Coachella Valley Unified School District are left in neighborhoods after they've made their rounds, so students can continue to receive Internet access at home.

"It's honestly helpful because I can search for things much easier instead of at the library, because I live really far from the nearest library in Mecca," said student Sergio Duran.

The school has given iPads to all 20,000 students, but District Superintendent Darryl Adams said the district found about 30 percent of its students don't have Internet access at home, particularly in rural neighborhoods.

"Their homes are so far out and cable companies don't like to go there," Adams said.

Not only is each bus in the school district equipped with a wireless router for Internet service, but there are also solar panels attached to all the buses parked in the neighborhoods to provide power.

"Our kids are connected, and they're doing fantastic things now, and their future is really bright because of that."