District outlines $2.82 million Interactive Flat-Panel refresh from sinking fund; administration says vendor inventory secured

District technology staff presented a classroom-technology refresh plan at the April 21 Board of Education meeting and said the administration intends to use the sinking fund to replace aging interactive flat-panel displays and other classroom devices.

Jeff (presenter name varies in transcript) and Superintendent Andrew Russo described an instructional technology audit and focus-group process used to select replacement Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs). Technology staff said the district—s existing panels were installed in 2017, have received earlier upgrades and are now showing signs of end of life; teachers have submitted hundreds of troubleshooting tickets for those panels since early 2023.

The district presented a recommended purchase of 723 interactive flat panels, with installation and removal of the old equipment, at a total cost of $2,821,507. The administration said vendor negotiations and a collective procurement process yielded a locked price and that inventory has been procured to avoid anticipated near-term supply and tariff-driven price spikes.

Technology staff said the updated panels include built-in speakers and improved accessibility, allow multiple students to interact simultaneously, and provide better recording and screen-sharing features teachers requested. The focus groups included elementary and secondary educators, special-education staff and community representatives. Staff also said the decision is part of a broader multi-year technology refresh plan tied to strategic-plan goal 11 and a separate facilities/sinking-fund timeline.

Board members asked about warranties, lifecycle costs and sinking-fund allocations. Administration said the sinking fund had been building across multiple years and that technology historically received a $1.5 million annual allocation; district leaders said some previously authorized sinking-fund dollars had not been spent and that the current procurement will draw on accumulated sinking-fund balances. The presentation also noted the district has already purchased 4,000 Chromebooks as part of a related refresh to avoid price spikes.

Administration warned that the technology sector—s supply chain and tariffs are volatile, and said the vendor had agreed to honor the quoted pricing and deliver inventory under a negotiated arrangement. Installation was slated so that secondary rooms would be completed over the summer and elementary rooms completed by early fall.

Ending: Trustees thanked technology staff and asked for follow-up materials that clarify project cash flow, long-term maintenance costs and any ongoing operating costs the new panels would add. No board action was required at the meeting; the purchase was presented as an intended sinking-fund purchase to be acted on in subsequent budget approvals.