Birmingham 'Worst City' For Remote Learning: Report

BIRMINGHAM, AL — With schools from elementary to university levels opting for distance or remote learning formats amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Birmingham has found itself at the bottom of a recent ranking of the best cities for distance learning.

A recent study by financial organization LendingTree shows Birmingham to be ill-equipped for remote learning, with the city scoring poorly in all of the study's metrics.

To rank the cities that are most conducive to a successful distance-learning environment, LendingTree looked at seven factors: computer access, high-speed internet access, median rooms per household, walkability and bikeability scores, percent of households with children under 18 and housing costs.

The study found that only 40 percent of households in Birmingham have computer access and only 52 percent have high-speed internet.

School systems across Alabama have given parents a choice for their students in regard to what kind of learning they want for their children, with distance learning being one option.

Jefferson County Schools announced its plan for the coming school year with distance learning as an option. Vestavia Hills City Schools, Hoover City Schools and others in the area have sent surveys to parents gauging what learning platform would be best.

See the full LendingTree report here.