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EPIC board approves purchase of 17,000 Chromebooks and short-term loan to fund order
Summary
The EPIC Charter Schools board approved buying 17,000 Acer Chromebooks for $4,579,290 through CDW and authorized a nine-month loan from Regent Bank to fund the purchase, using next year’s learning fund for repayment.
The EPIC Charter Schools board approved the purchase of 17,000 Acer Chromebooks for a total of $4,579,290 and authorized a nine-month financing agreement with Regent Bank to pay for the devices.
Board members voted to buy the machines from reseller CDW after staff said the devices offered the best combination of repairability and support. "Acer would provide us with an inventory of parts that we could repair these devices on our own," said Mr. Kimball, who presented the contract. He described a plan to reimburse in‑house repairs and to create student internships to perform some repairs.
The superintendent’s finance staff said the equipment will be funded from the learning fund in the 2025–26 fiscal year. Denise (staff member) told the board the district obtained a nine-month loan from Regent Bank with interest-only payments until January and no prepayment penalty so the district can pay the purchase in full in January if cash flow allows. The lender rate was described as "prime plus a half," and Denise estimated interest payments would be "20 something thousand" per month; the board asked staff to obtain the final amortization schedule and loan documents for signature.
Staff provided a per-unit cost breakdown: $269 per sellable unit, of which $233 is for the Chromebook hardware, $30 is for a Chromebook license, and $6 is for a white-glove service to inventory and tag the devices, according to Mr. Kimball. He said the district has roughly 30,000 Chromebooks in the field and that the purchase is part of a planned refresh. Staff also said the district will reintroduce a lease/charge to families to sustain the device program; Mr. Kimball stated the district will charge $250 for devices (as described during the meeting).
Board members moved and seconded both motions. Roll-call votes recorded Miss Berry, Miss Casper, Miss Myers and Mister Vela as voting yes; Mister Hammons/Hammes was recorded absent on the roll calls. Both motions were approved.
The board asked staff to provide final loan documents, a detailed financing schedule and implementation timeline for device deployment before the first-day-of-school deadlines.
