Board tables Chromebook RFQ after trustees raise instructional and timing concerns

At the Feb. 19 board meeting, district administrators asked the board to authorize a request for quote (RFQ) to buy 550 student Chromebooks for the 2026–27 replacement plan. The planned purchase reflected the district’s four‑year replacement cycle and last year’s per‑unit fully loaded price (about $434 per unit, all‑in), an estimate administrators said equated to roughly $238,000.

Trustees raised substantive questions before authorizing the RFQ: several directors said they wanted a public workshop on research about device use and student outcomes, alternatives to one‑to‑one Chromebooks (for example, computer labs or reduced device counts at elementary grades), and clearer guidance on the district’s instructional goals for classroom devices. Administrators and curriculum leads warned that delaying procurement too long compresses critical summer onboarding, imaging and asset tagging that make a fall rollout possible.

After extended discussion, the board voted to table the RFQ for one month. Trustees asked staff to present a focused March education workshop that would include: the Chromebook replacement plan timeline, how the 550 figure was calculated (grade cohorts, retirement timing), teacher/principal feedback on instructional use, and options for reduced purchases or alternative device strategies.

What happens next: Staff will return in March with a workshop and reconciliation of the exact RFQ quantity and onboarding timeline so the board can decide whether to proceed in time for a summer rollout.