Conroe ISD aims to fix technology disparity
An inequity of Chromebooks among Conroe ISD campuses, which leaves some schools struggling with technology while others have an abundance of the devices, has the district’s trustees looking for solutions.
Adding to the issue is the district’s new stricter cellphone policy limiting access to devices during the school day. Teachers have relied on students’ devices, such as cellphones, to turn in schoolwork.
Marianne Horton, a member of the district’s Student Health Advisory Council and parent of a Conroe ISD student, spoke during public comment at a March 19 board meeting and asked about the disparity of Chromebooks amoong campuses.
“The Chromebook-to-student ratio is not the same from campus to campus,” Horton said. “For example, Moorehead, Peet, Stockton, and York junior highs have more Chromebooks than students, while teachers at McCullough Junior High are left scrambling to find enough Chromebooks to even administer district tests.”
According to data provided by Horton, which includes working and non-working devices, McCullough Junior High has about 2,169 students but only 1,970 Chromebooks. York Junior High has 1,973 students with 2,196 Chromebooks.
The data also shows The Woodlands College Park High School and Conroe High School have the most devices. College
Park has 4,424 Chromebooks, about 1,000 more than students while Conroe has 4,024 Chromebooks for its 3,823 students.
Superintendent Curtis Null said the reason for the difference between campuses is how those principals spent their allocated budget.
“Some campuses have made the decision to buy more Chromebooks and that is why they have more Chromebooks,” Null said.
Since that school used their budget money, he said, the Chromebooks can’t be moved to other campuses.
Null said the new cellphone policy has highlighted the need for more devices.
“It’s an adjustment,” Null said. “We will have to look at a way to see if we can support them.”
While the $1.9 billion bond approved by voters in November allocates $40 million for technology, including Chromebooks, iPads and desktop computers, those devices will replace existing devices, not add to inventory.
During the March 19 meeting, the board approved spending part of that $40 million to purchase new computers for teachers to replace ones at the end of their life cycle, according to Rick Reeves, director of procurement and business services for Conroe ISD.
Reeves said the district has purchased some Chromebooks but is behind the curve.
“The reason we had to pass the $40 million is we are still trying to replace Chromebooks going out of cycle,” Reeves said. “Our department is continuously buying them but we are playing catch up.”