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Chromebook purchase approved at USD 428
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The Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education approved the latest round of Chromebook purchases when it met Wednesday at Riley Elementary School. The board approved buying 1,000 of the wireless electronic devices, along with 1,000 Google for Education licenses and 950 protective cases, for a total of $385,275.

Director of Information Technology Ryan Axman said the district has a rotation cycle for electronic purchases to maintain up-to-date technology. Computers are rotated every five years and Chromebooks are rotated every three years. Axman said he would normally wait and make his purchase request at the Feb. 9 board meeting but he was concerned about dwindling supplies from CDW, the company the district uses. CDW is focusing on producing higher-end computers as opposed to the lower-end Acer C737 Chromebooks the district orders. The vendor started the year with 30,000 Chromebooks on hand and as of Jan. 28, when the board met, they were down to 19,000, he said.

In the past, the district ordered 1,100 devices, based on needing 1,000 and allowing for a 10% damage rate. The district order this time is smaller, in part because fewer are needed, but also because the protective cases have improved.

USD 428’s One to One Technology Initiative started in 2015 with a grant from the Dorothy M. Morrison Foundation. Now every student in the district has access to a wireless device.


Contributions approved

The board also approved the latest contributions. Great Bend High School accepted $1,250 from Hoegmeyer Hybrids Inc. for popcorn sponsorship of GBHS concessions. Riley Elementary received $28.10 from Box Tops incentives.


Personnel

The board approved the resignation of Stacy Kahnt, teacher of special education at Ellinwood Middle School/High School, effective June 1. Ellinwood is included in Barton County Special Services (Great Bend USD 428, Ellinwood USD 355, Otis-Bison USD 403 and Hoisington USD 431), and all BCSS staff are employed by USD 428.

Also approved were two retirements, effective June 1. Itinerate English Language teachers Susan Thornberg and Linda Basye are retiring.