Chromebook ‘Surplus’ to Benefit Seventh and Eighth Graders

Seventh and Eighth graders in the Ellwood City Area School District will no longer have to “share”  Chromebooks.

The announcement came during Monday night’s School Board Agenda Meeting on Monday night. Quickly after the announcement, School Director Renee Pitrelli said she felt the decision was made without board approval. Pointing out that this was the first time she had heard about this one to one Chromebook distribution.

“The administration doesn’t make a decision for us,” she said during Monday’s meeting.

Her point that board approval should be given for such decisions was met with explanation by administrators and school staff in attendance that the Chromebooks were leftover and should be put to use instead of just sitting in a closet.

Pitrelli said her disapproval was not with the plan for the students to use the Chromebooks, rather that the administration made that decision without board approval.

“How you all aren’t offended, I don’t understand,” Pitrelli said to her fellow school directors.

She said the decision followed a $6,000 purchase of Chromebooks for the fifth and sixth graders. Pitrelli said that money could have been saved by utilizing the Chromebooks that the school had on hand. A majority of last year’s seniors returned their Chromebooks instead of purchasing them leading to the extra inventory of the devices. Previously, students were sharing Chromebooks in the school building moved from room to room on carts.

Parents were already alerted to the fact that the 7th and 8th graders would each be given a Chromebook for use, according to a parent who was a “visitor” at Monday’s meeting.