District technology leaders asked the board on Sept. 8 to approve a purchase of 7,215 Lenovo 100e Chromebooks using state contract pricing to restore the district’s device refresh program and reach a more sustainable five‑year replacement cycle.
Chief presenter Carl Sain said the district currently holds about 40,000 devices but more than two-thirds of those are out of warranty. The plan approved for board consideration would purchase Chromebooks with five‑year warranties and include “white-gloving” services and Chrome Education licenses, he said.
Staff described device use patterns: elementary students averaged roughly 37 minutes per day on district platforms and middle/high students averaged about 45 minutes; primary uses included i‑Ready at the elementary level and Canvas at the secondary level. The proposal’s technical rationale was to refresh entire cohorts (sixth and ninth grades) to minimize classroom disruption and maintain 1:1 access where needed for testing and small-group instruction.
The purchase would rely on a state procurement vehicle (state contract 204A), Sain said; quoted pricing included a manufacturer discount passed through the vendor. The funding source is previously appropriated capital outlay dollars, he added.
Board members asked whether devices go home with students, how warranty and damage are treated, and whether personal devices are commonly used; staff said district devices are the preferred and recommended devices for instruction and many students take them home for convenience and charging. Exceptional‑children staff noted Chromebooks support accommodations such as text-to-speech and enlarged print.
The board signaled support for adding the purchase to consent for next week’s business meeting while reserving follow-up questions about device management and usage data.