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D97 board hears technology plan and recommends multi-year device refresh; cloud phone upgrade proposed
Summary
District 97 technology staff presented a multi-year technology plan including a proposed student device refresh, Chromebook and iPad leases timed to tariff and grant windows, and a planned move to a cloud-based unified communications system. The board will consider formal approval at an upcoming meeting.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 technology staff on April 8 presented a technology plan that recommends a multi-year device refresh and other infrastructure changes aimed at expanding classroom access to digital tools and simplifying district communications.
Michael Ehrensdorf, chief technology officer, told the board the presentation was grounded in classroom outcomes, using a second-grade student’s biography project to illustrate how remote interviews and assistive tools improved engagement. “This is not about the technology. It’s about what Louie just talked about,” Ehrensdorf said, referencing a student presentation earlier in the meeting.
The district’s recommendations include a student-device refresh that staggers iPad and Chromebook leases and extends iPad refresh cycles to five years. Ehrensdorf said the district typically refreshes student devices every four years but is recommending a five-year plan for the newest iPads to capture the improved device capacity of the recently released models.
Key procurement and finance details presented to the board:
- Vendors: The district ran an RFP with roughly 40…
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