Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
About
Through a collaborative effort with the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, its Foundation, key community members, nonprofits, and the County of Marin addressed a long-standing problem of lack of affordable high-speed internet access for most residents in the Bolinas-Stinson School district area.
It started in 2018 when the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) awarded a grant to Inyo Networks, Inc., to provide a Bolinas Gigabit Network Project in the amount of $1.8 million to construct a new last-mile broadband infrastructure in Bolinas. The project stalled but through the work of the BSUSD-CC was resurrected to provide a long-term solution for the Bolinas-Stinson community that ensures a transition from fixed wireless to future-proofed fiber for almost all residents. Through Muir Beach Lan, Horizon Cable TV, and INYO networks, low-income plans are available for a little as $9 a month.
More than $200,000 was raised to fund internet accessibility, including installation and monthly service subsidies, for all full-time families living in the district with school-aged children. Funding partners in the project are the BSUSD ($65,000), an anonymous donor ($20,000), the Marin Community Foundation ($40,000), and the Pincus Family ($100,000).
The Bolinas-Stinson effort succeeded with the support and assistance of:
- Supervisor Dennis Rodoni
- The County's Information Services and Technology (IST) department
- The Marin Community Foundation
- The Pincus Family Foundation
- The Bolinas-Stinson Connectivity Committee and Foundation
- Inyo Networks, Muir Beach Lan, and Horizon Cable