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Elkhorn board approves $591,751 curriculum adoption, $633,040 Chromebook purchase and $2.51M instructional budget
Summary
The Elkhorn Public Schools Board on March 9 approved a seven-year grades 6–8 reading/language arts curriculum from Savvas totaling $591,751.20, a $633,040 Staples contract for 2,000 Chromebooks, and a preliminary Building Instructional Budget of $2,510,102 for 2026–27.
The Elkhorn Public Schools Board of Education on March 9, 2026 approved a proposed curriculum renewal for grades 6–8 and several major district expenditures, voting unanimously on each item.
The board approved the grades 6–8 reading/language arts curriculum from Savvas, with estimated materials and license costs of $591,751.20 covering materials and licenses for the next seven years, after a motion by J. Shatel seconded by S. Ringenberg. The minutes record a roll-call vote in which A. Parks, S. Ringenberg, J. Shatel, N. Rogic-Greufe and M. Wortman voted yes.
The board also approved a contract with Staples for $633,040 to purchase 2,000 replacement Chromebooks for student use; that motion was moved by M. Wortman and seconded by J. Shatel and carried by unanimous roll-call vote. District minutes state the purchase is for replacement student laptops; the minutes do not break out per-device pricing or funding sources.
Alongside those purchases, the board approved a preliminary Building Instructional Budget and Curriculum Adoption Budget of $2,510,102 for the 2026–27 school year, a decrease of $22,801 from the prior year. The motion was moved by M. Wortman and seconded by J. Shatel and passed by unanimous roll-call vote.
The board also approved the 2027–28 school calendar as recommended by the American Civics and Curriculum Committee. A separate motion to update Policy 706.08 (Food Procurement) and Policy 902.04 (Architects and Engineers) in response to changes in State law and Nebraska Department of Education rules appears in the minutes as a "CARRY-OVER MOTION"; the minutes do not record a final vote or further action on that policy update during this meeting.
Why it matters: the curriculum adoption and technology purchase represent multi-year commitments—materials/licenses for seven years and a large device-replacement contract—that affect classroom instruction, licensing budgets and device management plans. The preliminary instructional budget sets the district's allocation for curriculum and building instructional needs for 2026–27.
Next steps: the minutes record approval of these items and indicate the board entered Closed Session later in the evening to discuss personnel. Additional details on financing sources for the curriculum materials and Chromebook purchase are not specified in the minutes; the district's published budget documents or a future board agenda would be the likely place for funding breakdowns.
