Comments from county educators last week reinforced a recent Eagle editorial about the importance of expanding broadband into rural areas.

A legislative farm tour last month enabled the Butler County Farm Bureau to tell federal, state and county officials how important it is to provide high-speed broadband in rural areas because some farm machinery uses internet service for navigation.

COVID-19 has forced many companies to carry out business online, and we argued on this page that young people, who are accustomed to a virtual existence, might be more inclined to take up that profession if broadband service could make it more appealing.

Last week, an Eagle story drew attention to another element of life under COVID-19 that emphasized the importance of access to broadband service: education.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered schools to move to remote learning, but some local educators knew this would be difficult due to a lack of rural broadband internet.

Superintendents from Moniteau and Karns City school districts told the Eagle there’s a “significant” need for cable or better reach for Wi-Fi.

“There’s definitely (an) equity issue with kids, especially rural kids, to get high-speed internet,” said Tom Samosky, Moniteau School District’s superintendent.

The need for broadband seems especially urgent as schools open for the fall semester, and districts are conducting classes through a mix of in-person and online learning. Should COVID-19 surge again, it’s possible students will have to go back to learning from home.

Wolf included expanding broadband internet as a top goal in his Restore Pennsylvania initiative. His office estimated that 520,000 Pennsylvanians in rural areas do not have broadband and the cost to provide it could be up to $715 million.

But Butler Armstrong’s general manager said money allocated for the issue won’t result in immediate changes, which would require time and planning.

In the meantime, we’re glad to see some county school districts taking steps to address their students’ needs, such as delivering laptops to pupils who don’t own one or providing Wi-Fi hot spots for those without internet capacity.

Although school is back in session, it’s unclear how COVID-19 will affect the school year. Students need to have the resources that will allow them to participate fully in class, and this includes the potential for being stuck at home.

We believe all involved parties should approach this issue with the sense of urgency it requires.

— NCD