Here for the Schools: OEC Provides Much-Needed PPE to Local Schools

Parents and community members alike have a renewed and deep appreciation for the teachers in our community. On the heels of an unprecedented spring filled with crisis schooling, area schools have worked diligently to safely return to in-person schooling. To aid their return, OEC asked schools in our service territory what challenges they faced going back to school (virtually or in-person) and how we could help. The response was astounding.

Several schools responded that their greatest need was internet service — a need that OEC Fiber gladly helped to meet.

“On the virtual side of things, you all have been awesome in getting OEC Fiber in. By the way, I have it now and I will never go back!” said Little Axe Public Schools Superintendent Jay Thomas. “Our main concern is getting all our families affordable internet access.”

Many of the schools reported an enormous need for masks and hand sanitizer.

OEC swooped in and delivered 25,225 masks and 336 gallons of hand sanitizer to distribute to nine area schools, including Noble, Minco, Dibble, Lexington, Little Axe, Washington, Tuttle, Amber-Pocasset and Verden.

This was a necessary focus not only due to the cost, but the difficulty in findinglarge quantities. OEC was able to leverage the large size of the purchase to get the supplies quickly.

“We purchased enough PPE for our students and staff to get us started. With the great unknowns being how many will need to use ours, how much will we need to provide, how long will this situation last, it is very difficult to answer with any certainty,” belied Noble Public Schools Superintendent Frank Solomon. “We are truly in an unknown time and doing everything we can.”

Noble Public Schools Superintendent Frank Solomon helps unload boxes of PPE donated by OEC.