A sign for the rural Octorara Area School District in Pennsylvania, which closed down in March due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the U.S., April 4, 2020. (Michele Orner/Handout via REUTERS)

School administrators fear that students without reliable internet access – especially those with IEPs – will experience an extreme version of the “summer slide,” losing some of their skills due to lack of practice and repetition. Educators have tried providing devices such as iPhones and mobile wireless hotspots – and even paper-and-pencil versions of classwork.