Lincoln-Way Board Approves $731,000 Freshman Laptop Purchase

Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Meeting | December 18, 2025

Article Summary: The District 210 Board of Education authorized the purchase of 1,750 Lenovo laptops to equip the incoming freshman class for the 2026-27 school year. The $731,290 acquisition aims to standardize the district’s fleet with updated devices featuring improved memory and processing speeds.

Student Laptop Purchase Key Points:

• Device Selection: Lenovo 500W Gen 5 convertible laptops.

• Unit Price: $417.88 per unit, which is lower than the price paid for Gen 4 models in previous years.

• Standardization: The choice allows the district to remain a “Self-Maintainer” site for repairs, utilizing existing technician expertise.

• Warranty: The purchase includes a 54-month warranty for hardware failures.

On Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, the Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Board of Education approved the purchase of 1,750 new student laptops from CDW-G.

Director of Technology Cheryl Kay presented the board with an analysis of demo units from Lenovo, Acer, and Dell. The district ultimately chose the Lenovo 500W Gen 5 model, citing its 12.2-inch screen and “garaged” stylus—which charges while stored inside the device—as superior features for student use.

“The Lenovo model is an updated version of our current student laptops. It has additional memory and a faster processor than our current devices,” Kay explained. She noted that while a Dell model was slightly cheaper, it lacked the internal stylus housing, requiring a separate case and battery-powered stylus.

The purchase price of $417.88 per unit represents a decrease from the $425 per unit paid in the two previous years. Kay attributed the savings to economy-of-scale purchasing and current pricing incentives.

Standardization was a key factor in the decision, as the district currently operates as a certified “Self-Maintainer” for Lenovo products. This status allows internal technicians to perform repairs on-site, a process they are already familiar with for the Gen 4 models currently in circulation.

The new laptops will be distributed to students for summer school in 2026 and the start of the 2026-27 academic year.