As the sun sets on the 2013-2014 school year – USD 305 officials are preparing to launch into the digital age next year.

High School in Salina will never look the same as the district finalizes a plan to put a personal computer into every student’s bookbag.

USD 305 Superintendent Bill Hall tells KSAL News that Chromebook will give instructors and students a collaborative edge at school and at home, “We looked at other options but in the end we settled on a Chromebook which gives us word processing and access to the internet for research capabilities,” he said.

The Samsung Chromebook XE303c12, priced at $235 per machine will help power the change that began as a pilot program last October at Salina Central High School.

Central High instructor, Anissa Bigler helped guide students through her English class using the Chromebook,  “It changes the way my students interact with each other and the way I can interact with them,” she said.

“A small group can be working on the same document at the same time – at school or at home. If I see a student doing something really well I hit a button and I can put it up on our Promethaean Board, and the entire class can see it.”

The plan calls for each student, grades 9 through 12 to be provided a new Chromebook next fall. All devices will be assigned to a student with a serial number and handed back in at the end of each school year.

Filters will be in place on all devices and students may have to pay to replace the computers if they are damaged.