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Stewartville board approves shift to school‑issued Chromebooks for grades 5–9
Summary
The Stewartville school board approved a district proposal to require school‑issued Chromebooks for students in grades 5–9 (phasing to 5–12 over time), citing classroom management, testing efficiency and cybersecurity. The change affects about 44 current BYOD middle‑school students and will not raise tech fees this year.
The Stewartville Public School District board voted Feb. 23 to require school‑issued Chromebooks for students in grades 5 through 9 beginning next fall, with a plan to phase the Chromebook program through grade 12 in subsequent years.
A district technology staff member outlined the proposal, saying it would replace the current bring‑your‑own‑device (BYOD) mix in middle grades and standardize devices so teachers can manage classrooms and testing more effectively. “So my proposal is to transition, from BYOD to school issued Chromebooks for grades 5 through 9,” the staff member said. He told the board the change would let teachers see every student’s screen, push out approved websites and remotely manage updates, and that about 44 students in grades 6–8 currently use BYOD devices.
Supporters at the table emphasized classroom and testing benefits. The presenter said Chromebooks update automatically and allow use of a new monitoring tool, Securly Classroom, that teachers have tested in lower grades. “The teachers absolutely love it,” he said of early deployments.
Board members asked about costs, device life span and family impacts. The presenter said the district ordered next year’s incoming fifth‑grade Chromebooks early to avoid price increases and that the district would not change technology fees this year. He also said families may buy insurance for replacement costs, and that devices are wiped and updated over the summer. When a board member raised concerns about battery life after multiple years of device use, staff noted Chromebooks are primarily web‑based and that the district plans to recycle or replace aging units as needed.
After discussion, the board approved the recommendation by voice vote. The motion to adopt the policy was made and seconded from the floor; all members present signaled “aye.”
The action will change the BYOD policy language the board maintains to reflect the new device requirement and give staff authority to implement the distribution, filtering and insurance processes described at the meeting.
