Parents and teachers tell board 1:1 Chromebook policy harms equity; ask for CART model

During the open forum at the May 21 meeting, parents and teachers urged the board to reconsider plans to implement a 1:1 Chromebook program at middle schools and to instead adopt a classroom cart (CART) approach.

Speakers described problems they say were experienced during prior 1:1 deployments: devices that are lost, damaged or uncharged; insufficient spares/chargers; increased electronic waste; and behavioral or attendance consequences when students lack charged devices. One commenter said 80% of surveyed middle‑school teachers favored CART systems at three middle‑school sites; another argued CARTs better support students with IEPs and accommodations who need consistent access to word-processing and reading supports.

"Returning to a 1 on 1 model instead of a CART system hurts our equity and achievement goals in the long term," a parent speaker said. Another speaker urged staff to provide the rationale for requiring all three middle schools to align to the same model.

Board response: Trustees asked staff to circulate the rationale and any relevant survey results and indicated they would review the district’s decision-making documents. The board invited additional emailed comments to the district board email.

What’s next: Commenters requested a formal staff memo explaining the pedagogical rationale and an equity analysis comparing the two deployment models.