East Allegheny SD board to revisit kindergarten Chromebook take-home plan over damage concerns

At a regular East Allegheny School District board meeting, trustees said they will revisit a plan recorded in the monthly report that shows kindergarten Chromebooks were ordered for summer delivery for FID and remote days. Chair raised the item from the monthly report and asked staff for clarification.

A committee member told colleagues the district should rethink sending devices home with kindergarten students. "It’s potentially not being worth the hassle of sending a device home and risking the damage it may incur for minimal participation or gains on the actual tech piece," the committee member said.

Chair acknowledged the concern and said the district will review the procurement bid and the language before any state submission. Board members noted the monthly report that referenced the devices is not due to the state until June 30, giving the district time to revisit the plan and, if needed, update the state copy.

District staff and trustees discussed the logistics and cost-benefit trade-offs of issuing devices for very young students, including the risk of damage and low take-home participation. A staff member said the district will share the finalized bid plan with trustees before submission and confirm whether devices are intended for in-school use, FID days, remote days, or take-home distribution.

Next steps: trustees said they will examine the bid details and recommended language, then decide whether to proceed with take-home devices or limit Chromebooks to supervised settings.