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District to trial iPads with keyboards for incoming grades amid cost concerns
Summary
Board discussed a planned shift from MacBooks to iPads with keyboards for incoming ninth- and sixth-grade students as a cost-saving measure; local funds cover part of the purchase and old devices have been sold to recoup funds.
Cabell County Schools staff told the board they plan to move toward issuing iPads with keyboards to incoming ninth- and sixth-grade students next year as a lower-cost alternative to MacBooks.
The district presented a contract for Apple hardware and services, noting only $16,000 of local funds would be used among multiple funding sources. District staff said the iPads and protective cases are less expensive and often provide better physical protection than MacBooks. The devices would remain with students for four years; at the end of that cycle the district may sell used devices to recoup funds or offer them for purchase at market value, a practice the superintendent said had previously returned roughly "closer to about a million and a half" (approximate) to the district last cycle.
Board members asked whether the purchase is an annual expense; staff confirmed new devices are procured for each incoming cohort and that the district views the program as a recurring expense tied to the 1:1 device program. No formal vote on a standalone procurement was recorded separately from the consent agenda; the item appeared as part of the consent agenda brought for approval during the meeting.
