$1.7 million computer purchase earns Decorah School Board approval

On Monday night at a special meeting, the Decorah Community School Board approved the purchase of almost $1.7M in computers and related support. The purchases will allow the school to provide one-to-one computer learning for all students in the district, with iPads for each student in grades PK-4, and a MacBook Air for all students in grade 5-12. The younger grades will not be allowed to take the computers home.

The current 8th grade class was a trial group for the one-to-one program last year, with all students provided a computer. Signed parental agreements and acknowledgment of responsibility are part of the program. That trial was "extremely well received" by students and parents.

There was nobody present for the public hearing prior to board action. But there was one email received that questioned the educational merit of providing computers, and why every student should have a computer when many already have computers. Multiple board members commented that the program was not simply providing a computer to all students.  It is part of comprehensive delivery system (with the computers loaded with specific programmed softwares), and provides a diverse "toolbox" of educational delivery options for teachers.  It was also noted that beyond being virtually impossible to coordinate classroom softwares with the computers of those students with the resources to have their own, it is basically illegal to ask income levels to determine who might need a subsidized computer.

Board members expressed enthusiasm about the program and praised all those involved in the research and preparation for this major transition. They thought the process had been deliberate and that all "due diligence" has been exercised on multiple fronts.

The purchase process will begin immediately, and implementation is hoped to take place shorty after the first of the year.

The plan has been in the works for several years and funding would come from various sources, and shift as debt obligations and other expenditures occur.  The annual cost of the "lease to buy" purchase would be about $440K and it is anticipated that after four years the District would phase into another round of purchases to replace the then outdated computers. At that time the District would also evaluate which computers are the most appropriate for use at each grade level. Superintendent Haluska was positive regarding additional revenues that would be coming into the district in the future from several sources that would assist in the ongoing commitments.