Scranton SD committee demands device inventory, new ticketing and single point of contact after shortages

Board members at the Scranton School District education committee on March 6 pressed administrators for a detailed accounting of district Chromebooks and iPads after repeated reports that some students — particularly those in special education — lacked devices.

Danielle, a board member, said the periodic updates the board has received felt repetitive and inadequate and demanded specific answers: how many students remain without Chromebooks, who is accountable for distribution, what the timeline is to resolve shortages and what controls will prevent a recurrence. “I feel like at this point, hearing that students still don't have Chromebooks, that's unacceptable,” she said.

Administrators said central staff are preparing a memo for the board (Rob Rucker was cited as leading that work) and that a principal survey suggests “the overwhelming majority of our students do have Chromebooks,” though needs remain at some buildings. Anne Gribec said the district will include a historical timeline in follow‑up materials showing original orders, replacements and repairs so the board can see spending and replacement patterns.

Special education leaders described a separate but related iPad rollout issue. Anjana said supervisors inventoried iPad assignments for autistic support and life‑skills classrooms, that a purchase order was submitted and Apple was asked to rush an order. She emphasized that iPads are prioritized where they are written into a student’s IEP for communication and that some classrooms require two devices per student (one for communication, one for academics).

Anjana acknowledged a gap in device management after a longtime staff member who handled iPads (Bill Del Pri) became ill and there was not an immediate replacement for that role. To address that, IT staffer Nick Stanovich (referenced by administrators) is consolidating multiple spreadsheets into a single inventory and the district is implementing a formal ticketing process so repairs and device requests will be tracked and archived.

Administrators said new iPads will be covered by Apple warranty, which should speed repairs, and that ticket records will provide an audit trail of who requested service and when. Board members asked the district to include in the forthcoming packet: a full timeline of purchases and replacements, counts of devices lost/broken, turnaround time for tickets, and identification of the current point of contact now that Del Pri is no longer handling iPads.

The committee requested a 100% physical accountability check before placing additional orders, arguing that the district should know precisely what is on hand before spending more on replacements. Administrators committed to follow up with the requested documentation and to name a dedicated inventory lead for devices.