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District considers leasing 120 smart panels after staff warn of security and obsolescence risks
Summary
Technology director Ryan McHarg presented a proposal to replace 120 aging interactive panels, recommending a five‑year lease to avoid e‑waste and to include warranty/patching; board members asked for the master lease, buyout language and training plans before approval, and the item was tabled for a later meeting.
Technology director Ryan McHarg presented a proposal to replace roughly 120 aging interactive smart panels across the district, citing security risks, lack of vendor patches for older models and the operational benefit of having a single supported brand.
McHarg provided projected financials: hardware cost $372,493; finance costs $67,760.20 over 60 months; total investment $440,253.20; annual payment $88,050.64, with delivery expected in the first week of June and payments deferred to July 1. He recommended leasing rather than purchasing so the district can cycle equipment every five years, reduce e‑waste and include warranty and patching services in the lease.
Board members pressed for details about lease terms, buyout options, hardwiring feasibility and actual teacher usage of advanced features. One board member noted that many teachers use only basic whiteboard or display functions and asked whether fewer panels or cheaper displays might suffice; others argued that training and peer modeling could raise feature adoption. Technology staff said the proposed lease would include full replacement warranties and patching, and that a master lease exists for similar equipment (Chromebooks) and could be tied to the smart‑panel deal.
Given outstanding questions — including whether the contract explicitly ties to the district master lease and the need to review full lease documentation — the board voted to table the smart panel replacement item for a future meeting after receiving the complete contract and master lease language.
