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Teachers, principals and parents urge board to keep 1-to-1 devices; board tables laptop-cart purchase
Summary
Two public commenters — a building principal and a kindergarten teacher/parent — warned that buying 35 shared laptop carts and moving away from the district’s 1-to-1 device model would harm instruction and equity. After debate, the board voted to table action item 6F for further study and referral to committee.
Tyler Barth, a building principal at Robb Elementary, and Ashley Gilmore, a kindergarten teacher at Woodward Elementary and parent, urged the Keystone Central School District board to reconsider a recommendation to buy 35 shared laptop carts and move away from the district’s 1-to-1 device initiative.
Barth told the board he was unaware the administration intended to move away from assigned devices and asked which administrators recommended the purchase; he said principals who implement instruction should be consulted before any shift that would affect scheduling and the 2026–27 school year. "Is that with the intention of going away from a 1 to 1 initiative?" he asked the board during public comment.
Ashley Gilmore framed the proposal as a potential step backwards for early-grade instruction, citing lost instructional minutes, sanitation burdens, logistical challenges for very young students and equity concerns for families without reliable home devices. "A 1 to 1 device isn't a distraction or a luxury. It's a critical textbook, a personalized tutor, and an essential tool for modern education," Gilmore said, adding that adaptive programs such as Lexia supported measurable student growth in her classroom.
After the public comments, board member Bill Waldina moved to bring action item 6F (technology laptop carts) forward for consideration; another board member moved to table the purchase and send it for additional study. Members debating the tabling motion cited mixed data: some said IT had recommended carts to reduce damage and repair costs, while others noted the district survey that informed the recommendation had not been distributed to all affected grade levels. One board member warned that hastily spending "$300,000" on equipment without answering questions about use, maintenance and implications for remote-learning policy could create future budget or staffing gaps.
Several board members said the curriculum committee would be an appropriate venue for deeper review; the acting superintendent and other staff said more up-to-date utilization and staffing numbers were needed before a policy change. The board then held a roll-call vote and approved a motion to table action item 6F for further study and referral to committee.
Next steps: the board directed that additional information be gathered (including districtwide surveys, IT utilization reports and fiscal impact estimates) and recommended the curriculum committee examine the purchase and any policy implications for the 1-to-1 initiative before the board takes final action.
