School Board Approves $11 Million Plan for One-to-One Technology Access

School Board Approves $11 Million Plan for One-to-One Technology Access

At today’s Leon County School Board meeting, the Board approved the first step in a plan to provide a device to every student in the district. The Board authorized negotiating the terms of a four-year lease agreement with American Capital Financial Services for the purchase of an extensive technology package.

The lease agreement will be broken into four annual payments for a maximum total of $11 million. Funding will come from capital outlay, general revenue, and categorical funds.

The agreement will cover 32,500 Chromebooks, as well as cases, warranties, and licenses. This includes 5% in spare devices to be used in the event of repairs or problems with devices.

Additionally, the agreement covers 900 charging stations—one for each elementary homeroom class in order to allow elementary students to leave their devices on campus during the school day. The agreement also covers setup and repair services from Technology Integration Group and Google tenant management services.

Superintendent Rocky Hanna said families may be able to purchase device insurance for $25 per year.

Hanna said approving the initiative is a historical moment for the Leon County School system.

“It’s risky, and there’s probably a reason why Leon County Schools didn’t go down this path for years now, but it is absolutely the right time,” Hanna said. “This is not just in response to the pandemic. It was the right thing to do notwithstanding the pandemic. We should have done this even if we weren’t sent home for the last nine weeks of the school year. It’s absolutely the right thing to do for moving our school district forward.”

After negotiating the terms of the agreement, staff plans to deliver devices to students by Aug. 1, 2020.

6 Responses to "School Board Approves $11 Million Plan for One-to-One Technology Access"

  1. Not that it will really matter to any of our local Sheeple Voters but you just know that there already has been or soon will be a “perfectly leagel” very substantial donation to HAA HAA or perhaps to an exciting new shell corporation related to Rocky and his brother generously provided by this civic minded company American Capital Financial Services.
    When this is later made public we will all once again be reminded that it is legal, there is nothing to see here, and to take our wrong thinking conservative vast right wing conspiracy theories and shuffle on down the road.

  2. Sure, what could go wrong………… I see a lot of Stolen/Pawned Devises in your near future. Here is MY thoughts…… Go back to teaching out of Text Books. At least for Elementary and Jr. High Schools. Build more class Rooms to shrink Class Sizes like we Voted on many Years ago.

  3. Why should I have to pay for your kid’s laptop?
    Which will break before the semester ends.

    Did you pay for mine?

    1. Or sell the screwel buildings, since Rocky doesn’t want to use them, and buy laptops with the proceeds.

      1. Apparently you do not comprehend what Rocky said in his last conference. You are no News Maven…Just a whiney woman.

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