Aging Chromebooks and mounting repair costs are driving one Texas school district to switch to iPad and MacBook Neo. Beaumont Independent School District's board approved a four-year, $11.19 million lease for 14,585 Apple devices. The district expects annual payments of about $2.8 million to replace aging equipment used by students and teachers.
The lease, reported by Beaumont Enterprise, includes 4,085 iPads for pre-K through second grade and 9,500 MacBook Neos for older students. Teachers will receive 1,000 MacBook Neo laptops. Deputy superintendent Rachel Harrah said nearly two-thirds of the district's devices are beyond their recommended life cycle.
The district reported more than 6,600 repairs last year and spent nearly $470,000 in repair and support costs. "It's almost half a million dollars just supporting a fleet that is barely moving or working," said Harrah. The district also compared MacBook Neo with Lenovo and Asus models, reporting lower four-year costs for Apple's option. Harrah pointed to 0% laptop financing, 0.99% iPad financing, Apple Care+ access, and potential resale proceeds as reasons for her recommendation.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing