Union County committee recommends Lenovo for grade 3–5 Chromebook refresh

Union County Public Schools’ Strategic Planning Information Technology and Transportation Committee voted to recommend Lenovo as the vendor for a districtwide replacement of Chromebooks for grades 3–5, after a competitive RFP process and hands-on testing with students.

The recommendation followed an RFP issued in February that drew 18 bids and a vendor evaluation process that narrowed candidates to HP and Lenovo. Jay Parker, presenting the technology update, said the district solicited feedback from parents, PTA, central-office teachers, principals, the academics team and fifth-grade students. “Lenovo received the highest score of 91. HP received a score of 59.6,” Parker said. He also described nonprice elements of Lenovo’s package, including vendor buyback of legacy devices, “$150,000 worth of Lambs Gold Chromebook monitoring,” $24,000 in professional development and full accidental-damage coverage for five years.

Committee members moved and seconded a motion recommending Lenovo; the committee approved the recommendation by voice vote and will send the item to the full board for final approval at an upcoming board meeting.

The recommendation is for the next school year and is tied to the district’s five‑year device life‑cycle practice. Parker said the district follows a 5‑year replacement schedule to meet EdTech needs and to provide “the best tools for learning.” The committee did not adopt procurement language beyond the recommendation; the full board will consider final contract terms and any related funding authorization.

Parker said the vendor-agnostic RFP prioritized the “best possible package” and that student input was part of the rubric. A board member praised the process and specifically noted that testing devices with students strengthened the selection.

Next steps: the committee’s recommendation will be placed on the full board agenda for a vote; no contract was signed at today’s meeting.