Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) may end up purchasing more Chromebooks or may not have enough to meet school needs if it continues to keep inaccurate inventory records and doesn’t put formal procedures in place, according to a report released Wednesday from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General.
“MCPS is missing opportunities to timely identify vulnerabilities in the process that may lead to fraud, waste and abuse,” the report said. “The lack of reliable and up-to-date information also hinders MCPS from accurately assessing both the quantity and condition of Chromebooks, potentially leading to unnecessary purchases, imprecise budgeting and reduced operational readiness.”
To address the lack of accurate records for the school district’s more than 200,000 Chromebooks, the inspector general’s report recommended several actions, including designing procedures for Chromebook inventory management.
When asked for comment on the report, MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez referred Bethesda Today to a memo to the inspector general’s office from MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor included in the report. MCPS concurred with all of the recommendations provided by the OIG, according to the memo, and outlined several corrective actions it would take in response to the findings, including creating a comprehensive inventory process for record-keeping.
The findings
MCPS began introducing Chromebooks into schools in 2014 and as of December 2024, MCPS schools have about 202,000 active Chromebooks in its inventory.
In fiscal year 2023, MCPS spent $12.8 million on new Chromebooks, according to the report. In fiscal year 2024, MCPS spent $19.5 million for new Chromebooks, $12 million of which was grant funding. MCPS has yet to purchase new devices for fiscal year 2025 due to the use of federal grant funds, which also allows the district to build its Chromebook inventory on a rolling basis.
According to the report, staff from the inspector general’s office conducted site visits at nine schools to assess the accuracy of MCPS inventory records, during which the staff counted a random sample of Chromebooks in each school’s stockroom to determine if the digital inventory matched the physical one. The investigation was conducted between October 2024 and February 2025.
“In attempting to perform this inventory verification, we were hamstrung by the differing school-level inventory practices, which varied by location,” the report said.
Of the nine schools – three elementary, middle and high schools each – only two schools could account for all the Chromebooks in the random sample of the digital inventory vs. the number of devices on hand. At five schools, the staff found between 9% and 46% of the computers in the sample. At two schools, counts were unable to be conducted because one school was using all but four computers and another had “no accurate data” on which Chromebooks were in classrooms and which were in storerooms.
Some of the devices didn’t have a barcode or serial number, which made it difficult for the staff to identify and track. After the visits, schools said they located 51% of the remaining computers, although some reported that some Chromebooks were given to students without being checked out.
“This presents a vulnerability in the process that could allow stolen or lost devices to go undetected for an extended period of time,” the report said.
A lack of formal policies and procedures has led to inconsistencies in Chromebook assignment, collection and inventory maintenance, according to the report.
According to the report, some schools allowed staff to use Chromebooks as “loaners” for students who forget their device at home, without checking out the loaner device. MCPS also allows each school to determine the information and specificity of inventory records.
MCPS uses software to track Chromebooks but doesn’t have formal guidance on how the devices should be tracked. The district also doesn’t have a formal process to investigate missing devices or discrepancies in inventory and each school can decide whether to charge fines for students for the “avoidable damage” or Chromebook loss.
Recommendations to address the issues
The report recommended MCPS maintain up-to-date inventory records and periodically reconcile all Chromebook inventories at all schools. The inspector general’s office also recommended designing and implementing regulations and procedures to manage Chromebook inventory, implementing formal guidance on fines for lost or damaged Chromebooks, requiring training for staff inventory management and implementing a formal investigation process for reported losses and discrepancies with Chromebook inventory.
MCPS concurred with all the findings, according to Taylor’s memo. In the memo, Taylor said that by October 2025, MCPS will develop a comprehensive inventory process for record-keeping. It will also implement a quarterly review focused on identifying and reconciling discrepancies with missing or lost Chromebooks and investigating inventory discrepancies.
According to the memo, the district will also expand end-of-year and beginning-of-year guidance for schools for Chromebook management, guidance on use and care expectations for students and staff and repair costs, and establish regular training for all personnel involved in the device inventory management.
