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15 <br /> 1 and much easier to manage (than Windows and Apple OS devices), but also the <br /> 2 introduction of Chromebooks coincided with the adoption of the Google G-Suite for <br /> 3 Education platform at CHCCS. The District purchased Chromebooks in a staged <br /> 4 approach, replacing Windows/Apple OS based devices first at the high schools, then <br /> 5 middle schools, and eventually the Grade 3-5 ES school classrooms. <br /> 6 <br /> 7 In 2018-19, through several years of incremental purchasing of Lenovo model <br /> 8 Chromebooks (11 e, N21, N22, N23, 100e), the District achieved a 1:1 student to device <br /> 9 ratio for Grades 3-12. However, these devices were used in a shared cart system for all <br /> 10 grades. When needed, teachers scheduled the use of a cart. Students did not carry <br /> 11 devices between classrooms and did not carry devices between classrooms and did not <br /> 12 take them home. <br /> 13 <br /> 14 Beginning in the 2019-20 school year (August 2019), the District shifted to a 1:1 Device <br /> 15 Take- Home program for Grades 6-12 (approximately 6,800 students). The CHCCS <br /> 16 Board of Education and administration decided in the spring of 2019 to use this current <br /> 17 year as a "bridge" while a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) with purchase and lease <br /> 18 options was published for bid (February 17, 2020). The RFP deadline was March 2, <br /> 19 2020, and sealed bids were opened the following day. Seven (7) bids were received from <br /> 20 the following vendors: <br /> 21 <br /> 22 1. Applied Technologies <br /> 23 2. Virtucom <br /> 24 3. Trinity3 <br /> 25 4. Insight <br /> 26 5. NWN Corp. <br /> 27 6. Howard Technologies <br /> 28 7. CDW-G <br /> 29 <br /> 30 The RFP bid included hardware specifications for 7,650 Chromebooks for Grade 6-12 <br /> 31 students (estimated middle and high school enrollment for 2020, plus 10% for spares). <br /> 32 *Note: At this time the District will continue the shared cart system for Grades 3-5 <br /> 33 (Chromebooks). <br /> 34 <br /> 35 Vendors were asked to provide purchase and lease pricing for (3) hardware options (with <br /> 36 varied specifications) to provide flexibility based upon instructional need(s), cost/value, <br /> 37 service/warranty, accessories (EMR pens, ruggedized cases) and other factors. All <br /> 38 proposals were required to provide full purchase cost and 4 year leasing option(s) pricing <br /> 39 for each hardware option specified in the RFP. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 The lease agreement will allow the District to replace/retire approximately 7,000 5-6 year <br /> 42 old out of warranty devices that are currently being used by Grades 6-12 students. These <br /> 43 devices will soon become end of life for Google Chrome OS updates, hindering or <br /> 44 making unusable many instructional applications that our faculty utilize in the Google <br /> 45 application eco-systems. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 The new devices are flip/touch Chromebooks with an on-board stylus and include a 4 <br /> 48 year accidental damage and theft warranty and ruggedized case. The successful <br /> 49 proposal was chosen from a rigorous decision analysis performed by a team of <br /> 50 stakeholders (Information Technology staff, Finance, Instructional Technology staff, and <br /> 51 a classroom teacher) that evaluated various brands/models using numerous "must-have" <br /> 52 and weighted criteria. Bids that did not meet all must have criteria were eliminated. The <br />