Board questions $5,300 proposal for two high‑school iPad charging carts; staff say carts reduce class disruption

District technology staff asked the board to approve two locking iPad charging carts for the high school cafeteria to give students a place to charge district‑issued iPads during lunch. The quoted purchase price was $5,298 for two carts that hold 24 iPads each (48 charging slots total).

The technology presenter said the carts respond to a recurring issue: students arriving to class with uncharged iPads, which creates class disruption when teachers or technology staff must provide replacement devices or chargers. "A lot of times, students are forgetting their chargers. They're coming to school, and their iPads are not fully charged when they arrive," a technology staff member said. The carts would use a PIN system for each locking slot so students retrieve the correct device.

Several board members questioned the investment and raised concerns about teaching responsibility. "$5,300 to support kind of bad habits seems like not money I'd wanna spend," one board member said, arguing the district should focus on student accountability and low‑cost alternatives such as providing a few spare chargers. Other board members supported trying the carts as a pilot, comparing the idea to campus charging stations common at colleges and modernized school facilities.

Practical details presented by staff: each cart holds 24 devices; the pilot would place two carts in the high school cafeteria; if successful, the district could consider more units for other locations; students with forgotten chargers currently rely on the tech department for temporary devices or chargers.

Planned next steps: the board agreed to vote on the line‑item purchase at the next regular meeting so members can review the item. Technology staff said they will provide follow‑up information and usage plans; no purchase was authorized during the work session.