Principal Tom Harmas reads emails at his desk. According to Harmas, Assistant Principals Valerie Piehl and Bradley Sever will head the new Chromebook policy implementation.  

Just as underclassmen and incoming freshmen have been issued personal Chromebook laptops over recent years, CHS will be extending that personal laptop policy to incoming juniors and seniors next year. 

According to Principal Tom Harmas, this means that next year, instead of providing laptop carts in teachers’ rooms, all students will be issued their own laptop to bring to school. 

“The expectation will be that they bring their (personal laptop) every day,” he said.

In anticipation of some incoming seniors already owning personal laptops, they will be given the option to opt out of receiving a school-issued Chromebook. 

“Incoming seniors will be allowed to opt out if they already have their own computer—not a phone, not an iPad, but an actual computer,” Harmas said. “The way we looked at it was: the last two years many current juniors have been using their PC or laptop—why make them switch? All the details haven’t been worked out, but they will be.”

 Junior Avery Guo, who will experience this widespread Chromebook distribution next year, said, “I was surprised that the use of laptops was (considered) so essential in our classroom because we still use so many handouts. We have so many laptop carts in every classroom so if we need it we can use it. (I understand) we’re moving towards more online-based learning like with Canvas due to COVID, but I prefer more physical teaching.” By Chloe Sun

Read more about current Carmel Clay Schools technology guidelines, including current Chromebook policies here.