Board reviews plan to replace smart boards with mobile flat panels and classroom audio

Flossmoor SD 161 staff presented a classroom-technology upgrade plan recommending mobile flat-panel displays on carts, document cameras and wearable teacher microphones with built-in speakers to improve audio coverage and classroom flexibility.

Staff described pilots in several classrooms and said teachers preferred mobile panels that can move to small-group areas and be used at tabletop height for younger students. The presentation noted compatibility with district Chromebooks and planned staff devices, and recommended a train-the-trainer professional-development model with instructional coaches and teacher leaders providing summer training sessions.

On technical infrastructure, staff reported access points and bandwidth are adequate for current use and recommended postponing large-scale access-point replacement pending the next-generation hardware; they said current backend infrastructure should support heavy Chromebook usage. Staff also described a plan to recycle or redeploy seven working smart boards to extend their service for one more year before replacing them.

Board members asked about software integration and ongoing professional learning. Staff said the panels' software is integrated with the device and that teachers who piloted the products reported ease of use, improved student collaboration features and better audio for students at the back of classrooms. The district plans to set universal expectations for classroom utilization and to include the device-training plan in the annual professional-development presentation to the board.

Staff will bring a sample panel to the next meeting so trustees can see the hardware and test mobility and screen-height features.