District staff recommends short lease to obtain 150 student devices now to avoid post‑fiscal‑year price spike

The Columbus School District’s technology staff told the school board on March 23 that supply constraints and expected price increases after July 1 make buying 150 student devices now preferable to waiting.

"If we waited till July 1, the estimates for pricing... the estimates are over $100 device higher," the district’s technology staff member Mike told trustees, saying the district could either buy now or use a short‑term lease that would shift payment into the next fiscal year. He said a lease would incur roughly $3,000 in fees but still produce a net savings of about $12,000 compared with a delayed purchase and would allow devices to arrive early enough for summer setup.

Mike said available inventory has recently fallen (he cited 4,000 units available, down from about 5,000), and that the district follows a six‑year replacement cycle. He noted that delaying purchases would increase the number of devices needing replacement in following years and risk classrooms using progressively older equipment.

Superintendent remarks indicated the business office had not budgeted for an immediate $65,000 purchase and that staff wanted board awareness rather than immediate approval; trustees raised no formal objections to pursuing a short lease and asked staff to bring final terms back to the board. No final procurement vote was taken on March 23.

The discussion emphasized student continuity and operational planning: staff said buying or leasing now would help avoid student downtime and allow setup before the school year.