The Chelsea School District is expected to devote $194,628 toward new technology purchases.
Introduced at the March 9 school board meeting, the Chelsea school board looked at a recommendation made by Ryan Spencer, the district’s Director of Technology, which will see the purchases of new “iPads for South Meadows 3rd grade students, Beach Middle School 8th grade students, and Pierce Lake staff as part of our ongoing device refresh cycle.”
“This purchase will ensure that students and staff continue to have reliable, well-supported devices that meet instructional needs across the district,” Spencer said in his recommendation report.
In giving some background on this, Spencer said, “Two years ago, we adjusted our iPad replacement schedule to better align with how students use and care for their devices. Rather than passing older iPads down between grade levels, 3rd and 8th grade students now receive new devices that they keep for five years. This approach has reduced wear and tear, improved reliability, and helped us better manage devices over their full life cycle. The refresh cycle at North Creek Elementary remains unchanged.”
The specific receommended purchases are:
● 425 Apple 11th Gen iPads (or latest model) – $137,700
● 425 iPad cases – $42,478.75
● 425 USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapters – $3,825.00
● 425 Jamf Mobile Device Management (MDM) licenses – $10,625.00
The total cost of this purchase is projected to be $194,628.75. Spencer said $184,003.75 of it will be funded through the 2019 Bond and $10,625 funded through the Technology Department budget.
The school board will issue an official decision on this at its next meeting on April 6.
Photo: Students at South Meadows are expected to get new iPads. Photo: CSD
