How much progress have public schools made connecting to the Internet?

The most recent survey of Internet access indicates that public schools in the United States have nearly reached the goal of connecting every school to the Internet. The percentage of public schools connected to the Internet has increased each year, from 35 percent in 1994 to 95 percent in 1999 (Table 1).

In earlier years, access to the Internet varied by school characteristics. In some previous surveys, for example, secondary schools, schools with lower concentrations of students in poverty (as measured by eligibility for free or reduced price lunches), and suburban schools were more likely to have Internet access than other schools. By 1999, these differences had disappeared; all schools, regardless of level, poverty concentration, and metropolitan status, were equally likely to have Internet access.