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Board approves 2026 student‑and‑staff device refresh after debate on K–5 screen time
Summary
The Poudre School District Board approved a multi‑year device refresh and purchase‑order authorization for student and staff devices after a contested discussion about K–5 device ratios and parental opt‑out; the motion passed 5–1.
The Poudre School District Board of Education voted 5–1 on April 28 to authorize staff to issue purchase orders to DHE Computer Systems and Dell Marketing LP to support the 2026 student and staff device refresh program. Chief Technology Officer Bud Hunt told the board the program is funded from the district’s 2010 mill and supports K–12 device provisioning and regular refresh cycles.
Hunt said the district provisions Chromebooks for K–2 and Windows laptops for grades 3–12, described a four‑year refresh cadence and warned that delays could raise costs: “a failure right now is likely an increase in cost, even in the very short term,” he said. He also said the district is launching pilot work this year to re‑examine whether a full 1:1 deployment in K–5 remains the best instructional model.
The proposal drew questions about screen time, home use and whether parents could opt students out of device deployment. Hunt said district controls limit device access and that site‑level arrangements exist for some students, but he told the board that “as an option to not engage with all technology, that isn’t a choice that’s necessarily an appropriate or meaningful one.” Board members urged clearer guidance for teachers and families and asked for specific data on classroom device use.
Board members also debated procurement timing amid industry supply‑chain shifts and rising demand for hardware. After discussion, the motion passed with one dissenting vote recorded as Kevin Havelka voting “nay.” The board directed staff to continue pilots and bring implementation details and family‑facing guidance to future meetings.
The vote authorizes staff to proceed with purchases and issue the necessary purchase orders; the contract amounts and exact vendor purchase orders will be finalized by staff and reported out as they are executed.
