School district expands iPad distribution

Every student in the Northmont City School District has been equipped with an iPad this year as part of a one-to-one technology program.

Until this point, only high school students had iPads.

Students in grades 6-12 can take the devices home, and those in grades K-5 have them at school to use in their everyday learning, according to Northmont Information Officer Jenny Wood.

“Our tech team did an awesome job of planning and implementing the pass-out for the 6-12 graders the week before school started when we passed out close to 2,600 iPads,” Wood said.

The cost of the program is $470,889 per year. The money comes from the district’s permanent improvement fund.

“This is not going to impact the general fund, that’s one thing the superintendent was very adamant about,” said Susanne Lintz, assistant superintendent.

The iPads will help authenticate the learning experiences for each student, not just in the classroom, but at home said Lintz.

School officials are renting the iPads, and after four years, the district can sell them back to Apple or keep them. The district has even considered reselling them.

The district formed the Strategic Planning Committee in 2010 to get the district to its one-to-to initiative. Then, in 2017, the district formed the Technology Review Team to explore the devices other

districts use.

The iPads were chosen based on the support and development the district gets from Apple. Textbook and printing costs are expected to decrease.

Teachers within the district will be equipped with iPads, as well. This gives the teachers the ability to control their classrooms with Apple Classroom.

The Northmont Board of Education approved the oneto-one technology expansion on Jan. 22.

Visit the school district’s website or contact Lintz at 937-832-5000 for more information on the one-to-one technology.