Citizen Portal
Sign In

Board approves $2.67 million Chromebook purchase amid calls for a clearer technology plan

3043050 · March 26, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The board voted 5–2 to purchase 8,500 Chromebooks with accidental‑damage protection for $2,669,500; several board members said they would not support the purchase without a comprehensive technology plan addressing device choices, curriculum alignment, privacy and AI risks.

District staff presented a recommended purchase of 8,500 Chromebooks for grades 1–9 and asked the board to approve a $2,669,500 contract on March 25.

A staff presenter told the board, “The total amount in front of you tonight for vote is $2,669,500,” and noted the purchase includes the district’s first year of accidental‑damage protection to reduce repair costs and free technical staff for classroom support. The presenter also said this year completes the district’s lease‑to‑own refresh cycle and that future purchases will be straight purchases rather than lease payments.

The nut graf: the purchase passed 5‑2 after an extended board discussion in which several members praised the incidental protections and operational benefits but pressed for a comprehensive technology plan addressing device selection, curriculum alignment, privacy, digital citizenship and AI mitigation.

Board Member Mohammad (recorded as Mohammed Khani in the transcript) and another board member announced they would not support the motion because they said they had not yet seen a sufficiently detailed, district‑adopted technology plan and wanted clearer documentation of device‑selection trials, stakeholder engagement and protections against harmful AI tools. The transcript records multiple board members urging that digital citizenship curriculum and privacy protections be emphasized in the district’s planning.

Several board members said they would support the purchase while continuing to press administration for a publicly adopted, annual technology plan. The motion to approve the Chromebook purchase was made, seconded and passed 5‑2.

Ending: The board approved the device purchase and added direction — explicit or implicit in the discussion — that staff return with clearer, documented technology plans and device evaluation artifacts in future presentations.