A national $28 million grant will allow an estimated 4,000 students at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif. to own a Chromebook by 2015, the School Site Council recently announced last month.

The New Haven School District was one of 16 national winners of the Race to the Top grant.  The district has been receiving funds from their $28 million grant since early 2013, according to the school district’s website.  The funds will provide every two elementary students and each middle and high school student with a Chromebook.

In addition to the grant, a district-wide bond measure will potentially appear on the ballot this November to re-turf the Logan Stadium, install restroom upgrades and provide loaner Chromebooks to students.

All Chromebooks use applications that are web-based and feature automatic installation of system updates, unlike laptops. They are often cheaper too; Google offers base models of the Chromebook for $199. The Chromebooks will be distributed similarly to that of textbooks with some additions.

“Parents will view a 20-minute orientation video discussing the educational benefits of using technology and the responsibilities they and their students will have,” said Librarian Carla Colburn.  “After signing a contract, students check the Chromebooks out from the textbook room.”

Chromebooks have the potential to give students efficient access to online information and learning materials and can help teachers plan their curriculum based around online material. In one example on the school district’s website, it describes how a teacher might incorporate technology into their curriculum.

“…The teacher presents a broad guiding question in an online discussion. The students share ideas online before splitting into groups to work to define and narrow the question, find relevant and reputable information, and demonstrate understanding through a project – using the collaborative Google Docs platform,” the school district’s website states.

In addition there are flags regarding the type of information students will have access to—both inside and outside of school.

“District Wi-Fi is heavily filtered.  One thing parents need to acknowledge in the form they sign is that we do not control what students can access once they leave campus,” said Colburn.

As with textbooks, the Chromebooks will suffer their own wear and tear.  The full replacement cost of the tablet is $285; the school offers optional insurance.  For low-income students, such as those on the reduced-lunch program, the district bond could be used to purchase insurance for the Chromebook.

One of the largest contributions of this bond is renovation to the sports field.  The stadium was built in 1985 and the turf was last replaced in 1995.  According to George Zuber, Logan’s head football coach, the turf was scheduled to be replaced in 2005 but the decision was tabled due to budget constraints.

The bond was discussed May 6 and requires a 55 percent vote from the New Haven School Board to pass, said Amy McNamara, school principal. Residents will vote on the possible bond measure in November, the school district website says, which “would raise from $100 million to $150 million through a property tax increase of $50 per $100,000 of assessed value.”

With ongoing funding from the Race to the Top grant, the passing of the bond will inject even more support for co-curricular programs, field trips, library modernization for James Logan High School.