Board approves third-party parent survey on Chromebook use; board will review the final instrument

The Lexington County School District Five board voted to contract the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health to design and administer a deidentified parent survey about Chromebook use and parental perceptions.

District staff presented the proposal from Dr. Bridget Armstrong and colleagues, noting the university has extensive experience conducting school and public-health surveys, would provide QR codes and outreach, and would deliver deidentified, school- and grade-level aggregated results to the district at no cost. The stated goal is to "assess parents' perceptions of the benefits, concerns, and appropriate use of Chromebooks in student learning to inform future district technology guidance and policies."

Board members insisted on prior review: the board approved the contract on condition the final survey instrument be provided to the full board and the instructional department for review and approval before distribution. The board recorded the motion and the amended condition in the public minutes.

What the administration said

The presentation noted the work would include instrument design, distribution support, completion monitoring and analysis. The consultants would not return personally identifiable information to the district; results would be reported at school and grade levels only. Administration emphasized the low district burden and no cost to the district for the work.

Next steps

USC will finalize the survey instrument and submit it to district staff. The district will circulate the instrument to the board and instructional leadership for final approval before the university proceeds with distribution and data collection. The board expects the university to present findings back to the board after analysis.