Chromebook Program Update

East Hampton school officials heard an update on Tuesday on the progress of the district’s new Google Chromebook program, in which every fifth and ninth-grade student along with some in other grades who are taking ninth-grade-level classes received a Chromebook computer to use in school and at home.

During that night’s school board meeting, Chuck Westergard, the district’s manager of information systems, told the board he has seen “constant, steady growth” in the use of online educational tools.

“It seems to be ramping up,” Mr. Westergard said. “I was also impressed with how well the teachers got going. . . . It’s new and it’s great, but it can be overwhelming when you’re starting a brand-new thing, and I’d just like to commend all the teachers who have taken on this project.”

The district purchased 400 Chromebooks over the summer, distributing 366 to students and 10 to staff members. A handful were reported as defective or damaged. The district has a stock of 21 devices as backup. Only two instances of missing Chromebooks have been reported, and they have since been recovered.

Mr. Westergard said the district is seeing some damage to the Chromebooks, such as cracked screens and chipped corners. “We can tell that there are a lot of people who have not taken advantage of the few recommended things that we did suggest, like to get a cover,” he said. “They were $11 to $14, depending on the one you pick out . . . and they make a big difference in how well the device is going to hold up.”

Christina DeSanti, the school board vice president, suggested the school principals look into selling Chromebook covers in the school stores.

The board also heard an update on the administration’s plan for spending the approximately $273,000 the district will receive from New York State’s Smart Schools Bond Act. Bob Hagan, the district’s director of learning technology and instruction, said it will be used on a thorough upgrade of the technology infrastructure, such as the wireless bandwidth, over the next few years. The state’s Education Department has already approved the plan.

“If we invest in a robust system, we could have 100 people in here working on the system and it would work just fine,” Mr. Hagan said. “This way, if every K to 12 child and adult and community member walked in with something, our goal is to not slow down one bit.”