Nash County Public Schools seeks $1.2–$1.8M for 1:1 device refresh to avoid out‑of‑warranty gap

Nash County Public Schools’ technology director, Tremaine McQueen, told commissioners on May 14 that the district needs sustainable funding to maintain its 1:1 device program and avoid an instructional disruption as devices age and warranties lapse.

"In the 21st century, the digital divide is a learning divide," McQueen said, summarizing the justification for a sustained refresh cycle.

Nut graf: The district presented two funding scenarios. Plan A, the preferred option, is a $1,800,000 request that maintains a four‑year refresh cycle for student and staff devices; Plan B is a $1,200,000 scaled option that staggers refreshes and extends device lifecycles to five years for some grades.

Details: McQueen said many devices are already out of warranty and the district has managed one year without a refresh, but continued delay would increase repair costs and risk interruptions to instruction. He noted kindergarten and first‑grade touchscreen devices and reported roughly 6,000 devices already out of warranty with an estimated 8,000 devices out of warranty by December 2025 if the refresh is delayed. The presentation said Plan A would replace devices for certain grades this year and align warranties to device lifecycles.

Commissioner follow‑up: Commissioners asked about funding sources and long‑term sustainability; McQueen asked for county support to maintain access and equity for students and staff.

Ending: The district requested commissioners consider stable funding to prevent the device fleet from degrading and to preserve the district’s Canvas learning management and digital‑textbook infrastructure.