District IT reports 11,563 devices in 1-to-1 program, outlines replacement and training plans

District technology staff provided the board an annual information-technology update Feb. 12 that described device counts, repair returns, classroom hardware and plans for lifecycle replacements and teacher training.

Bill Blair, the Instructional Technology Integrator, told trustees the district currently has approximately 11,563 devices assigned directly to students and teachers for the 2024-25 school year. He said these counts exclude Windows desktops, classroom laptops and iPads assigned to staff or special programs.

Blair said the IT department has processed about 8,825 student device returns dating back to February; returns included devices that would not turn on, would not hold a charge, or were otherwise damaged and in need of repair. He said the increase in returns was partly due to some devices reaching end of life and being unable to run newer online curriculum programs.

Blair also reported that approximately 626 Promethean active panels have been installed and teachers trained across pre-K to grade 12 classrooms. He described training sessions for the Promethean panels that typically run about an hour and a half and can be delivered virtually to large groups.

Joe DePaul (presented as "Joe" in the meeting), who spoke about budgeting and equipment lifecycle planning, said the district has monitored expenditures across several technology categories and is planning replacements for aging equipment, notably Windows laptops in classrooms and teacher Chromebooks issued during the pandemic. DePaul described the budgeting work as consolidated into four high-level categories for planning purposes; he said current expenditures are in line with expectations for the prior two years.

On device distribution and end-of-life planning, Blair said the district gives parents the option to keep devices over the summer; schools retain devices for families who choose not to take them home and IT reissues those devices once charged and inspected before the next school year.

Board members asked questions about reliability of teacher panels and the extent of teacher training. Blair said older panels installed under earlier grants were recently replaced and that replacements are driven by software and update compatibility rather than immediate hardware failure. He described a training plan to improve consistency across the district's onboarding process so new teachers receive required training for district accounts, gradebooks and classroom hardware.

Ending: The IT presenters did not request board action; they asked the board to note planned replacements and training modules and answered trustees' questions about timelines and device lifecycle management.