The Clay County School Board has approved the purchase of new Chromebooks as part of an effort to replace aging devices.
The school board awarded a bid from its current provider to purchase 90 Chromebooks for an estimated $33,000. School Board Chairman Benji Bailey said the new Chromebooks help during state testing.
“That’s the primary use for them,” Bailey said. “We have several Chromebooks currently, but as with all things technology, those wear out, and so we are replacing several of those.”
School Board members discussed the urgency of purchasing the Chromebooks. Technology Supervisor Derick Upchurch said approving the purchase now will save the school system money in the future.
“Both of these quotes expire as of tomorrow because prices are changing weekly, going up,” Upchurch said.
Upchurch said the district currently has more than 1,000 Chromebooks available for testing. Upchurch said the replacement is necessary to keep up with state testing requirements and avoid disruptions.
“Whether it be Aimsweb or your end-of-course, TNReady, all the required testing that students have to do,” Upchurch said. “Next year, that’s going to change in some form or fashion to 2nd through 12th grade instead of just 6th through 12th grade.”
In addition to pricing concerns, Upchurch said he has confidence in continuing with the current vendor, as they have provided reliable service.
“We can ship a damaged one off, and usually within two weeks it’s back in our hands, repaired and ready to go back into the classroom,” Upchurch said.
Following a brief discussion, the board unanimously approved the motion to move forward with the purchase.