LAMAR CISD proposes $54.8 million technology package; trustees debate 1-to-1 student laptops
Loading...
Summary
The district's technology presentation proposed $54.8 million for device refresh, a 1-to-1 laptop option and graphic‑arts equipment; trustees questioned classroom impact and ballot placement of the 1‑to‑1 item.
Dr. Chad Jones, staff member, told the Board of Trustees at a June 16 workshop that the technology portion of the proposed bond would total $54.8 million, split into a $43.8 million equipment refresh, roughly $10.7 million for a potential 1‑to‑1 student laptop program and $250,000 for graphic-arts equipment.
Dr. Jones said the refresh replaces devices at end of warranty and that devices are purchased with a five‑year warranty; he also explained that “state requires that technology devices be a separate proposition that the community would vote on.” The refresh estimate includes monitors, student and staff laptops and iPads, and assumes per‑unit pricing plus 15% for projected price increases and implementation costs.
Why it matters: trustees pressed staff about instructional effects, equity and logistics. Dr. Jones noted the district currently had about 36,459 student laptops and enrollment for grades 3–12 of 35,008, and said the 1‑to‑1 proposal would not send devices home and would aim to keep a 10% spare device inventory so broken devices can be replaced quickly.
Key figures and tradeoffs: the proposal’s device counts and unit estimates produced debate. Dr. Jones said unit pricing used current quotes (a student laptop estimate cited at about $966 after an allowance), and that a 1‑to‑1 rollout would require annual purchases to maintain device lifecycles and spares. He said Chromebooks were less durable and typically come with shorter warranties, and that switching ecosystems would require backend changes.
Trustees expressed pedagogical concerns. One trustee said a 1‑to‑1 program risks increasing whole‑day screen time, especially at elementary grades, and suggested prioritizing high schools if the board moves ahead. Trustees also discussed splitting the 1‑to‑1 item into a separate proposition on the ballot (a distinct prop C), so voters could accept device refresh without approving take‑home or district‑wide 1‑to‑1 expansion.
Next steps: staff offered to break out alternative ballot configurations and to provide more granular cost and replacement‑cycle scenarios; trustees asked for additional outreach and for the administration to quantify a smaller, 10% refresh option versus the full 1‑to‑1 expansion. No formal board action occurred at the workshop.
