Proviso Twp. HSD 209 board approves $952,213 device purchase after Chromebook debate
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Summary
The Proviso Township High School District 209 board voted unanimously to approve $952,213.15 for staff and student devices for the 2026‑27 school year after discussing laptop specifications, rising hardware costs and the tradeoff between Chromebooks and more capable laptops.
The Proviso Township High School District 209 board on Feb. 10 approved a $952,213.15 purchase to provide staff and student laptops for the 2026‑27 school year.
Board members moved and seconded the measure and a roll‑call vote recorded unanimous approval. The motion language asked approval "to approve the purchase of staff and student laptop devices for the 2026‑27 school year in the amount of $952,213.15 as presented."
IT staff told the board that laptop component costs have risen — roughly 30% over last year — which has pushed districts to consider alternatives. Chromebooks are substantially cheaper (staff estimated about $100 per unit in savings), but district technology staff and teachers cautioned that Chromebooks limit some instructional software (for example, certain Adobe applications) and could reduce workforce‑readiness functionality.
Officials discussed options including leasing, phased rollouts, resale of existing devices, and pilot testing mid‑tier Chromebooks for certain grades. A student who spoke to the board said current district laptops mostly work but that guardian/monitoring software can block access to assignments and that students often need to visit IT for fixes.
The board approved the purchase and instructed staff to continue evaluating the instructional impacts and deployment options for future years.
