Livonia Public Schools staff asked the Committee of the Whole on Dec. 8 to authorize a bond‑funded purchase of 5,000 Chromebooks and associated deployment services to refresh aging devices across district schools.

The proposal, presented under operations item 3e, would buy 5,000 devices to replace older units (many 2020 models) and to supply buildings based on device age and need rather than a strict per‑building allocation. Mr. Green said the devices "will be given to buildings to replace aging units" and described a vendor‑assisted deployment that includes unboxing, asset tagging and enrollment in the district’s device management system.

Board members asked whether students will take the Chromebooks home. Staff said the district’s practice has been that devices typically remain at school, though some devices were distributed during the pandemic through grants. IT staff reported the district uses management software to monitor devices and that universal charging and improved deployment processes have reduced technical overhead.

Mrs. Smith and IT staff explained the third‑party component: district technicians handle repairs and service tickets, but a third party is contracted to deploy thousands of devices quickly and to manage the recycling of retired hardware. Staff estimated a small recycling return per device (roughly $9–$13) but said they would confirm exact numbers.

The board stressed the value of the district's cyclical approach to technology refresh (similar to bus and roof cycles), noting that a sustained program prevents devices from becoming obsolete and helps maintain Google Suite compatibility across classrooms. The Chromebook purchase will be placed on the Dec. 15 regular meeting agenda for a formal vote.

Next steps: staff will finalize vendor terms, confirm recycling proceeds, and present procurement documents for board approval at the Dec. 15 meeting.