Board and committee approve purchase of 70 interactive classroom displays; district to sell or retire MacBooks

The School District of Beloit moved forward with a classroom technology purchase after the Business Operations & Finance Committee and later the full board approved buying 70 Newline interactive displays to replace aging SMART boards.

At the committee meeting, Brent Williams (technology staff) explained the district's plan to replace interactive displays in classrooms that rely heavily on hands‑on instruction (math, science and similar grades). Williams said there are already 69 Newline panels in the district and the low bid from vendor CDW priced the new panels at $1,900 per unit, including a seven‑year advanced replacement warranty. The new displays include built‑in interactive software and require no subscription costs, Williams said. He also described a parallel recommendation to end the district's MacBook lease program for staff and rely on Chromebooks to save approximately $550,000 over three years (staff presented this as a one‑time savings estimate tied to device buyback/lease decisions).

Committee members asked whether the district already had panels in every classroom and whether the purchase was within the current budget. Staff said the purchase is for the 2024‑25 fiscal year and is within the budget. The committee voted to approve the purchase not to exceed $135,000; the motion carried at the committee.

At the full board meeting the item was on the consent agenda as item 7.c. Board members asked a few technical questions about warranty terms and the district explained CDW negotiated a seven‑year warranty extension beyond other quotes. The board approved the purchase unanimously during the consent agenda vote.

Ending: The district will move forward with purchase and proceed with planned Chromebook/device changes intended to reduce future lease costs; staff said they will manage inventory and warranties as part of implementation.