Blackhawk administrators outline $127,000 plan to refresh staff devices, recommend leases

Administrators told the Blackhawk School Board on Sept. 11 that the district has budgeted about $127,000 for staff device replacement and is recommending lease arrangements to manage replacement cycles.

The superintendent's administrative team said middle‑ and high‑school teachers' devices require replacement because of a Microsoft update compatibility issue and that elementary devices are newer and not immediately affected. “We have a specific amount about a $127,000 that is budgeted for device replacement,” said an administrator during the work session.

Officials recommended a 36‑month cycle for staff devices and a longer lease term for servers, arguing the approach keeps device‑age parity across staff. “The device is a 36 month… so that is a 3 year,” the administrator said, adding that servers typically have longer warranties and were recommended for 60‑month terms because hardware warranties can extend to seven years.

Board members pressed administrators about the total long‑term cost of leasing versus purchasing. One board member summarized the trade‑off: “Rather than paying $89,000 today, we're gonna pay a $107,000 because that equates over those 5 years,” reflecting the lease interest and finance cost described in the packet.

Administrators said the district carries device replacement as an annual line item and that using a lease for staff devices gives predictable costs for the next three years while separate server leasing helps protect longer‑lived infrastructure. They said the district will continue to evaluate student device cycles separately.

Next steps: the board added finance consent items (which include budget items) to the Sept. 18 voting agenda for formal action; administrators said they will continue to refine timing and bring final lease documents for a future vote.