Chromebooks could come charging in

The Milton Area High School is on a quest to test Chromebooks as an economical alternative to student laptops. 

According to Co- Principal Mr. Andrew Rantz, the school purchased 60 Chromebooks to try for the rest of the year.  

The first teachers to test the Chromebooks in the high school have been Social Studies Teacher Mr. Wally Blair and English Teacher Ms. Angela Ranck, said Mr. Rantz, who added that they were chosen because their curriculums rely on online sources. 

Superintendent Dr. John Bickhart suggested testing the Chromebooks, said Mr. Rantz. He added that when Dr. Bickhart was employed at the Danville School District, the students successfully used Chromebooks. 

Chromebooks cost $388, while the current student laptops cost about $825, Mr. Rantz explained. 

 Although the final decision has not been made, Mr. Rantz said that if students get the same education with the Chromebooks and it saves money, then “why not switch?” 

So far, responses from the students have been pretty favorable, he said.  

Junior Abbey Kitchen said that the keys were small on the Chromebooks compared to current student laptops. 

“I did not like it,” Abbey said. 

Abbey added when she tried to save documents it was a lot harder on Chromebooks. 

“There were too many hoops to jump through to get to one destination,” she added. 

Students and teachers will be testing the Chromebooks for the rest of the year. If it goes well and the high school decides to use them, they will begin to be distributed in the 2023-24 school year, Mr. Rantz said. He added that the Chromebooks will go to the incoming freshmen. 

The final decision should be made at the May school board meeting, said Mr. Rantz. 

 “It will be a team decision, gaining input from students, teachers and administration,” Mr Rantz said. “I do not believe it needs to be an official approval/agenda item, but we are going to get a consensus of their approval.” 

If they decide not to keep the Chromebooks, Mr. Rantz said he assumes they will keep the Chromebooks being tested until the end of their life cycle and then replace them accordingly.  

“I think we will be constantly evaluating their effectiveness,” said Mr. Rantz. 

Senior Gaven Russell, who works in the high school tech department, said that the current student laptops are capable of doing more than students need to do in school.  

Gavin added that after seniors graduate, their laptops are either decommissioned or they are used as loaners.  

According to the website https://tech.co, a technology research website, “Chromebooks have virtually no built-in storage.” This means in order to save files users must use an alternative source like a hard drive. This is different than the Windows laptops students use. 

 “As you can’t install regular programs or software, a Chromebook isn’t able to do as many things as a traditional laptop,” wrote Tech Writer Jack Turner in an article published on Tech.co. 

Mr. Rantz said students will still be able to access Office 365 and Teams on Chromebooks.