Heath Oates, superintendent of the sprawling El Dorado Springs R-2 School District in Missouri, says much of the community has spotty Wi-Fi and cell service, so students were given Verizon Hotspots so they could attend school virtually.
High school principal Chad Russell said he survived a "close-to-death" experience with his COVID-19 illness that kept him hospitalized far from home for weeks, including 12 days on a ventilator.
