District IT presents 1:1 device review, YouTube block for K–5; board approves Chromebook refresh with lease

District 200’s Department of Innovation and Technology updated the board April 9 on the district’s 1:1 Chromebook program, usage patterns, and next steps for artificial intelligence guidance and device management — and the board approved a purchase of student devices to refresh Chromebooks and to support new career pathway courses.

Jason Spencer, director of innovation and technology (presenting to the board), said Chromebooks are used daily across grades 1–5 and estimated average device use at the elementary level at about 55 minutes per day across the school day. "In general, Chromebooks are used daily across the system," Spencer said. He reported that younger grades use devices less than older elementary grades and that multilingual and special education students rely on devices for supplemental practice and supports.

Spencer described a number of changes and policies coming next school year: starting in 2025–26, YouTube will be blocked for grades K–5 but teachers may assign specific videos through Google Classroom; families of students in grades 6–12 will see a returning‑student permission screen that allows them to opt out of YouTube access for their child. The district will continue to provide granular web filters (Lightspeed) and a parent portal that can pause Internet access outside of school hours.

The presentation also outlined the district’s measured approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Spencer said the district has an ethical‑use guidance document for staff and students and has created an "AI Explorer" cohort that is piloting classroom tools at different levels: teacher‑only AI experiments in K–5 and controlled classroom tools (Brisk for middle school, Google Gemini at high school) where age and data‑privacy rules permit. "AI only gets smarter with the more information and data that we give it," Spencer said, noting the district requires privacy safeguards and teacher transparency for any classroom AI use.

After the oral report the board voted to approve the purchase of student devices related to the Chromebook refresh and devices for career pathway courses. The motion (moved by Ms. Colovitz, second by Mr. Rutledge) passed with one recorded no vote (Ms. Blattner); other board members present voted yes. The board also approved a four‑year tax‑exempt lease purchase agreement with First American to fund Hubbell fitness equipment and the Chromebook refresh.

Spencer said the district has about 12,000 students and "well more than 12,000 Chromebooks," and is implementing a new help‑desk and asset management system to track device costs and repairs. He told board members roughly 200 families have used the parent portal toggle to control after‑hours device access; he said staff receive about five to seven requests per week to add families to that portal. The district will continue to educate families about active versus passive screen time and to support teachers in designing instructional, active uses of devices.