Augmented and Virtual Reality

PA District Supports Elementary AR/VR Program with 60 iPads

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 07/25/19

A Pennsylvania school district is ramping up its device and software inventory. The school board for West Jefferson Hills School District recently approved numerous technology acquisitions, including the lease of Chromebooks and purchase of iPads.

The board approved lease of 720 Chromebooks, laptops and desktop computers from Dell for $350,527. The lease, to be handled through First American Education Finance will last 36 months, with zero-percent interest and an annual charge of $106,871.

The Apple iPads are needed for a continuing augmented and virtual reality program in the elementary grades. The idea is to add 60 iPads on two mobile carts, half for use in the media center and the other half to be moved among classrooms. The cost for that was listed in board documents as $27,837, which included $4,500 for educator professional development.

Among the other technology purchases approved were:

• The five-year leasing and installation of projectors for the district's new Thomas Jefferson High School, for $114,310;

• Purchase of Google Chromeboxes, compact desktop computers, for district-wide use, priced at $19,397 from Bit Direct;

• District-wide network firewall hardware and services from Dell for $16,338; and

• Purchase of video display monitors from CDW-G (up to $110,353) and COSTARS ($16,224).

As a sign of the times, the board also approved donation of chalk no longer needed by the high school to local non-profits.