Georgia District Deploys 36,000 1-to-1 Devices in 2 Months

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/13/17

A Georgia school district handled a 36,000-device deployment in under two months. Henry County Schools began its rollout of 1-to-1 technology in grades 3-12 in mid-August 2017, taking an average of two hours per school across the 53 elementaries, middle schools, high schools and academies.

EmpowerHCS, as the district program is called, used Incident IQ, a support platform typically used by schools for streamlining help requests. In this case it also helped the school system assign hardware to individual students with a scan-and-click process. The cloud-based software, produced by Lexicon Technologies, ties asset data to student user profiles synced with the district's student information system.

"This was the smoothest hardware roll-out that I've ever been a part of," said Chris Davis, director of technology operations at the school system, in a press release. "We could not have accomplished this as quickly and as accurately using any other system."

According to a district procurement report, that specific portion of the $36 million project cost the district $343,000. An additional $286,000 is being paid to Lexicon for summer diagnostic, repair and secure storage services. And $1.4 million covers accidental damage protection for the Chromebooks, Windows and iPad devices that make up the program.

Most of the funding went to cover the cost of the devices. Virtucom provided 35,700 HP Chromebook 11 G5s and 3,570 HP Educator Probook 430s for almost $20 million. Apple sold the district 9,505 iPad Air 2s for $3.3 million. The school system also worked with nearby Kennesaw State University on district-level training for staff, co-planning with grade level and content area coordinators, progress monitoring and reporting and digital citizenship support.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Indianapolis Public Schools Adopt DreamBox Math

    Thanks to a new partnership with Discovery Education, all Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) K–8 students and teachers will gain access to DreamBox Math, which blends curriculum and continuous formative assessments that adapt to student needs to boost achievement.

  • The First Steps of Establishing Your Cloud Security Strategy

    In this guide, we'll identify some first steps you can take to establish your cloud security strategy. We'll do so by discussing the cloud security impact of individual, concrete actions featured within the CIS Critical Security Controls® (CIS Controls®) and the CIS Benchmarks™.

  • Google Brings Gemini AI to Teens in the Classroom

    Google is making its Gemini large language model available for free for students ages 13 and up in the United States (age minimums vary by country), via Google Workspace for Education accounts.

  • A top-down view of a person walking through a maze with walls made of glowing blue Wi-Fi symbols on dark pathways

    Navigating New E-Rate Rules for WiFi Hotspots

    Beginning in funding year 2025, WiFi hotspots will be eligible for E-rate Category One discounts. Here's what you need to know about your school's eligibility, funding caps, tracking requirements, and more.