Case Study: Richland School District Two achieves scalable, award‑winning 1:1 learning with Samsung Chromebooks

District Combines the Power of Cisco, Pearson and Samsung to Enable Award-Winning 1:1 Learning Initiative

Richland School District Two, a nearly 27,000‑student district in suburban Columbia, SC, needed to implement an award‑winning 1:1 learning program but faced infrastructure, budget and support constraints. The district required robust broadband and wireless coverage, affordable student devices that delivered a full computing experience, and engaging digital content to enable blended and individualized learning. To meet the device requirement, the district selected Samsung Chromebooks as the student computing platform.

Samsung’s Chromebooks were deployed as part of a broader solution (with Cisco network upgrades and Pearson digital curriculum) to deliver centrally managed, low‑cost student computing at scale. The Samsung devices boot in under 10 seconds, provide up to 8.5 hours of battery life, and cut total cost of ownership to roughly half that of traditional PCs while enabling quick swap‑out support; combined with Cisco’s 3,000 access points (supporting ~26,000 devices) and Pearson content, the initiative drove higher student engagement, reduced discipline issues, and allowed personalized, always‑connected learning across the district.

Richland School District Two

Tom Cranmer

Chief Technology Officer