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School board approves four‑year lease financing for K–5 Chromebooks, paid from capital funds
Summary
The board unanimously approved a four‑year lease financing plan to replace K–5 Chromebooks and buy classroom carts, with payments built into capital improvement funds and no immediate general‑fund impact; the contract includes a fifth‑year buyout/trade‑in option.
The Douglas County School Board voted unanimously to enter a four‑year lease‑financing agreement to provide new Chromebook devices and classroom carts for all kindergarten through fifth‑grade classrooms, with payments scheduled to begin July 1, 2026 and to be paid from the district’s capital improvement funds.
Jared Rex of the district technology team described the proposal as a district‑wide, K–5 refresh that locks in vendor pricing and secures wholesale computer carts for classrooms. Rex said the financing package carries an effective interest rate of roughly 2.5 percent and includes an optional fifth year that functions as a pre‑negotiated trade‑in or purchase at a fixed price. “We’re asking our K–5 students to use devices purchased in 2019; these are too old,” Rex said. He added the district expects to take a $100,000 payment out of the capital allocation in the first year and larger payments in years two through four, but that the purchase will not reduce the general fund.
Board members asked about sources of funds and logistics. Superintendent Alvarado said the district has $600,000 in annual capital improvement allocation and that the Chromebook payments were planned within that capital budget. Rex said the new elementary devices will remain in school carts (not go home with students) and that the district will use refurbished devices for middle and high school needs while planning a separate replacement strategy for older devices.
A media tech at an elementary site, Sasha Wagner, urged approval during public comment and said frequent repairs make replacement urgent. The board approved the recommendation to enter the lease financing agreement on a motion by Miss Jansen and second by Miss Miller; the motion passed unanimously.
