Board pulls planned K–1 Chromebook purchase after debate over screen time and costs

Trustees on the Montoursville Area School Board voted May 12 to remove a planned Chromebook purchase for kindergarten and first-grade classrooms from the district's 2026'27 draft budget after an extended debate about instructional needs, screen time and cost.

The discussion centered on whether the district should move away from iPads toward a 1:1 Chromebook model for very young students and how the change would affect the budget. Board members expressed concern about screen time for 5- and 6-year-olds and questioned whether a classroom set of devices would meet instructional needs.

"I don't think you need 1 to 1 Chromebooks for kindergarten and first grade," a trustee said during the meeting, reflecting a view voiced by several members who suggested classroom rotations or smaller device sets could suffice. Administrators said the shift to Chromebooks is partly driven by repairability and lifecycle costs: "That's part of the reason we're moving away from iPads is because they're not repairable where its Chromebooks are," the district technology director said.

District staff provided a cost estimate for the replacement: "$77,660 for 215 Chromebooks, 50 keyboards, and pens," the administrator overseeing device procurement said. Trustees weighed that cost against instructional questions and possible future price volatility for devices.

After discussion, a motion to remove the Chromebook purchase from the 2026'27 budget passed by voice vote; trustees directed administration to continue planning and to consult with teachers about whether a scaled or phased approach would better meet classroom needs.

The board did not specify a replacement procurement plan in the meeting; trustees asked administrators to return with more information about classroom uses, teacher preferences and multi-year replacement schedules.