Blue Valley board unanimously approves device, curriculum and Stillwell renovation contracts

The Blue Valley Board of Education on Jan. 12 unanimously approved four contracts that had been pulled from the meeting’s consent agenda: annual device purchases for the district’s 1:1 programs, a high‑school math instructional resource, and a major rehabilitation of Stillwell Elementary.

Device contracts: the board approved a contract with Apple Inc. for MacBook Airs for the 2026‑27 ninth‑grade 1:1 program and a contract with CDW Government Inc. for Acer Chromebooks for the 2026‑27 sixth‑grade 1:1 program. Kent Courser, director of technology operations, described the device lifecycle, recycling/resale process for retired equipment and the program’s equity aims: "The 1 to learner now is across the board the same. Resources are across the board the same," he said. Both device purchases were described by staff as routine annual renewals and were approved unanimously.

Curriculum contract: the board approved a proposed seven‑year contract with Imagine Learning to provide Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II instructional resources, including district teacher and student digital access and two years of consumable workbooks. Adam Wade, director of academic programs, said the recommendation followed an 18‑month, teacher‑driven review and included professional learning for staff. The board voted to approve the contract unanimously.

Facilities contract: the board approved a GMP amendment with McCownGordon Construction for Stillwell Elementary’s exterior envelope improvements, including adding insulation, replacing failing windows, repairing brick, and installing new electrical switchgear. Jake Slavonic, chief operations officer, said the work responds to findings from an envelope study and will replace building components that are beyond useful life. He said the project was part of the 2023 bond program; trustees asked about security and learned entrance doors and sidelights will be upgraded to forced‑entry‑resistant standards. The motion carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance: each pulled consent item was moved, seconded, discussed, and approved by the board with no recorded dissent. The meeting record shows unanimous approval for the Apple Inc. purchase, CDW Government contract, Imagine Learning curriculum purchase, and McCownGordon Stillwell project.

What the contracts cover and cost: contract amounts were read aloud from the meeting materials. The CDW Government Chromebook purchase was listed on the agenda at an estimated $961,500; the Imagine Learning contract was described in the materials as approximately $1.0 million (agenda figure read during the meeting); the Stillwell envelope GMP amendment was described on the agenda as a multi‑million dollar figure tied to the 2023 bond (the meeting packet included the precise GMP figure). The Apple contract amount as read during the meeting recording was partially garbled in the transcript; the board approved the contract as presented and staff said proceeds from device resale help offset future purchases.

Next steps: procurement and project teams will finalize purchase orders and project schedules; the Stillwell work is intended to proceed as part of the district’s bond‑funded capital program.