SANDY, Utah — A freshman starting high school in Canyons School District will likely be using the same Chromebook throughout their four years of high school and after they graduate, a new district policy will allow them to keep it.
A Chromebook is a computer designed mainly for network access. The Canyons District provides them for students starting in elementary school. (Kindergarteners and first graders use iPads, which are actually more expensive.)
Scott McCombs, the Canyons District IT director, said he’s pleased to see students using the technology.
“It is exciting to see the students using them,” McCombs said. “Even before they were dismissed, there were a number of students working in small groups and each of them had their Chromebook with them and were taking advantage of it.”
The Chromebooks cost about $225 each, with another $25 in required software. McCombs said the district will need some additional financial support to send them out with students when they graduate. But he said they’ll be able to use them to get a head start on college.
Even after high school, the Chromebooks will still connect with the district’s network systems, which provide filtered internet content.