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William Penn School District explores 1-to-1 Chromebook program, plans technology fee
Summary
District staff reported recent Chromebook spending, steps to reduce damage and loss, and preliminary plans to assign Chromebooks to students starting in ninth grade with an associated technology fee; fee amount not yet determined and the district said it will consider affordability given its CEP status.
Darnell Beanes, chief of operations for the William Penn School District, told the district education committee on Oct. 8 that the district is examining a districtwide 1-to-1 Chromebook program and a related technology fee for high school students.
Beanes said the district spent roughly $167,000 on Chromebooks and accessories in the 2023–24 school year, about $125,000 on devices in the following year, and projects to spend approximately $237,000 on devices and accessories this year. "Beginning in the ninth grade year, students will start having their Chromebooks, and that Chromebook will be assigned to them for their duration of their high school years," Beanes said, adding the fee would be used to help cover the device and insurance costs.
The district described several operational steps intended to reduce damage and loss. Beanes said IT staff rewired Chromebook carts at elementary schools to secure chargers and reduce slack that can cause chargers to separate from devices. The district is also exploring insurance options and a mobile device management system that staff said would allow asset tracking and loss prevention.
Beanes cautioned the technology fee is still in preliminary discussion. "We are in the preliminary exploration stage of this fee," he said, and noted the district must consider affordability because William Penn is a full CEP district — the federal Community Eligibility Provision for free school meals. Beanes said the district has not set a fee amount and would work through logistics and accommodations for families who may qualify for supports.
Committee members asked how the fee would be assessed and whether it would be a one-time charge or annual. Beanes said those details remain to be determined, and that the district would seek approaches that include insurance and asset management.
No formal action or vote on the fee or the 1-to-1 program was taken at the Oct. 8 meeting. Beanes said the district expects to provide more information in the coming weeks and months as planning continues.
