SANFORD, N.C. (WNCN) – Harnett County Schools has partnered with Paper, an online tutoring company that offers students access to a live tutor 24-hours a day.

Students at Highland Middle School will be the first in North Carolina to use the services.

Students will have access to the tool whenever they need help with a subject, writing papers, and even homework. It allows teachers to track progress, identify learning gaps, and personalize their instruction.

Harnett County Schools is using funds pandemic relief funds to make this platform free to students.

“What we are trying to do is really close opportunity and achievement gap for student who have been affected by COVID-19,” Harnett County Schools Assistant Superintendent Jermaine White said.

Paper’s multilingual tutors add an extra layer of support across all content areas and grade levels, in and out of the classroom so students always have access to expert help exactly when, where, and how they need it.

The CEO, Philip Cutler, is a former teacher. He started this company after realizing some of his students couldn’t afford tutoring services.

“We wanted to provide something that actually elevates the bar for everybody, that actually supports all students regardless of their social economic status,” Cutler said.

Paper supports some of the largest school districts in the nation, such as Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida, Atlanta Public Schools in Georgia, and Columbus City Schools in Ohio.

Already some students at Highland Middle School in Harnett County are using the platform. They are testing it before it is fully implemented. The school plans to roll it out to the entire student body in April. Harnett County Schools plan to expand it into other schools in the future, depending on its success rate.