An iPad might have needed a thick case to take one of the comments the devices got April 6, as two of the Wiscasset High School students using them this year spoke to the school committee.

“Everyone at the high school hates the iPads,” senior Matt Craig told the committee Monday night.

Craig and fellow senior Hanna Foye said they would prefer laptops or some other device. Craig asked if the whole school department might be able to use Google Chrome.

Google Chrome is not tactile enough to meet the needs of the early grades, said Christina McCue, technology coordinator at the high school and Wiscasset Primary School.

“It’s awesome for fourth grade, but not kindergarten, first or second,” McCue said at Monday's school budget workshop in the high school library.

Foye suggested sending the high school’s iPads to the elementary grades and getting other devices for the high school. In an interview later, she said the iPads do not work well for some of the things she and other students need them for, such as applying to colleges.

McCue argued against the elementary grades getting the high school’s iPads. She’s seen how some of the high school students pound on them, she said.

“I’m tired of (younger students) getting the hand-me-downs.”

Monday’s discussion came as the school committee continued work on the department’s next budget. Another $84,000 has been cut in the latest draft, including a bus run and about half of the $89,000 first figured for technology hardware in kindergarten through fourth grades, Interim Superintendent of Schools Lyford Beverage said.

The current proposal, involving the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), would get leased iPads for all students in those grades, officials said.

“The goal is to get some kind of technology in every kid’s hand (next) year, and then upgrade from there,” Committee Chairman Steve Smith said after the workshop. Asked about the high school students’ ideas, Smith said all the options regarding devices will be looked at.

During the session, Wiscasset Primary School Principal Mona Schlein spoke in favor of the proposed iPad lease program.

“It would open up a world, and all kids would have equal opportunities for the use of technology ... I strongly request that this stay in the budget,” she said.

Wiscasset High Principal Cheri Towle said the students’ comments about the iPads did not surprise her. High school students do a lot of research and typing, Towle said.

“It is very difficult to type on an iPad for many of our students,” Towle said. “The iPad offers apps for students to access (which) can be useful, but many students feel a desire to move toward laptops in the future.”

At the start of Monday’s workshop, Smith announced that $111,000 had to be added to the budget draft when it turned out that parts of about four teachers’ salaries had been left out. The teachers work at multiple schools but, until the fix, the draft only accounted for their work at one school, Smith said. The most recent cuts to the budget draft offset all but $27,000 of the $111,000 added, but the missed salaries did not lead to those cuts, Beverage said.

“I’m trying to put the leanest budget we can put in front of the people,” he said.

Other elementary budget talks

With 44 second graders currently at the primary school, Beverage is planning for two third grade classes next year. A third class may need to be added, if the incoming third grade grows by another five or six students, he said.

The budget draft gives the elementary grades a guidance counselor three days a week. Beverage said Schlein would like to make it four days, but that he hasn’t been talked into it yet.

The committee’s next budget workshop is at 6 p.m. April 15 in the high school library.