Board approves Chromebook lease for grades 2–8, buys out devices for K–1 amid debate over screen time

The Harford County Board of Education voted June 22 to approve a Chromebook contract that will buy out existing devices for kindergarten and first grade and place grades 2–8 on a new three‑year lease.

Board members debated the proposal at length. Some trustees and members of the public urged preserving student‑facing programs instead of technology spending; others urged fiscal caution given rising device prices and supply chain pressures. Trustees also raised instructional concerns: district staff said state‑approved diagnostic and intervention platforms are largely computer‑based and that keeping devices helps ensure tests measure content knowledge rather than device familiarity.

Administration said the proposed buyout for K–1 (roughly 5,500 units at an estimated cost of about $165,000) would give the district a transition year to phase out 1:1 devices in the earliest grades, while the three‑year lease for grades 2–8 preserves pricing and logistics in a tight market. The board approved the contract by roll call; the record shows at least one abstention and one no vote.

Board members said they will convene stakeholder groups to study screen‑time practices, device safeguards and instructional implementation while preserving required state testing readiness.

The board’s formal action was recorded as a contract award for a student Chromebook lease with associated buyout costs; the motion passed by recorded vote.