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Superintendent says district weighing pullback of take-home devices and flags several state bills that could affect funding
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Summary
Superintendent Bryce told the Alfalfa County School Board the district is reviewing its 1-to-1 Chromebook program because of maintenance burdens and rising costs and summarized several state bills (cited in the meeting) that could affect local revenue and payroll costs.
Superintendent Bryce told the Alfalfa County School Board the district is reconsidering its 1-to-1 device program because of maintenance demands, rising replacement costs and classroom priorities.
"We've had this cell phone ban this school year and we've seen a lot of really positive things come out of that," Bryce said, arguing that reduced screen time has improved student interaction. He said the district has given devices (Chromebooks and some iPads) to students junior high through high school and to some fifth graders, and administrators are discussing whether to scale back take-home devices and move toward shared laptop carts in classrooms that need regular computer access.
Bryce said the district will continue to ensure students have access when needed but wants to be "intentional" about device use and to preserve time for fundamental skills such as handwriting and note-taking. He indicated he would return to the board with proposed changes at the next meeting.
Bryce also summarized several pieces of pending state legislation the district is tracking. As discussed in the meeting, those included "house bill 31 51," described as an increase in minimum instructional days from 167 to 173 (noted in the meeting as effective in 2028 as written); "Senate Bill 201," described as a $2,000-per-line increase in the minimum salary schedule but funded through the state formula (meaning non-formula districts like Alfalfa County could need to cover the cost locally); and "Senate Bill 1177," which the superintendent said includes continued security funding for the district (stated at about $93,000 annually). Bryce warned that "Senate Bill 227," which would exempt certain oil- and gas-gathering equipment from property valuation, could substantially reduce local property valuation and revenues for schools in Alfalfa County if enacted.
Bryce said the district has contacted state lawmakers about the revenue implications but had not yet received detailed responses.
The superintendent emphasized that these legislative items are in flux and that the district will continue to monitor their progress and potential impacts on local budgeting and staffing.
