After debate, Milton board approves Apple device lease through 2029; parents and staff voiced privacy, cost concerns

The Milton School Board approved a four‑year lease to renew district Apple devices at its Feb. 24 meeting following more than an hour of staff presentation, public comment and board discussion.

Board members voted to accept an Apple quote (quote number in the packet) for a multi‑year lease beginning July 1, 2025. The administration presented a lease package that would continue the district’s existing mix of iPads for lower grades and MacBook Airs for secondary students; the board approved the quote during the meeting. The motion passed on a roll-call vote, 5–2.

The decision followed public comment from James Hass, who identified himself as a Milton parent and the technology director for Edgerton School District. In a written comment read aloud, Hass said he supported the district’s Chromebook pilot and asked the board to provide the district’s privacy agreement with Apple. "iPads lack keyboards and full‑featured software that Chromebooks or other solutions would provide," his written comment said; he also requested copies of the district’s privacy agreement with Apple and asked for clarity about student data protections.

Technology staff and business staff answered detailed questions from board members about logistics, data handling and total cost. Neil, a district technology staff member, said district data is primarily stored in the cloud but that students also create files locally on devices. "Most of it's in the cloud, but they do create and store documents locally," Neil said when asked whether personal documents remain only in the cloud.

Board members debating the motion raised two consistent themes: total cost and whether to pivot to Chromebooks after a recent pilot. Some board members who supported Chromebooks at an earlier meeting restated concerns that Chromebooks would be a lower‑cost option; other board members emphasized continuity and the practicalities of rolling out and collecting laptop devices across grade levels.

Administration staff noted the financial difference between the proposed Apple lease and the prior lease was modest on an annual basis and said the district needs to provide direction to purchase devices in time for a summer deployment. Staff also described a process for collecting and wiping devices at lease turnover and said proceeds from liquidating off‑lease devices would be available to help pay replacement costs.

The board approved the lease motion on a roll call vote of 5–2. The board motion authorized district staff to execute the Apple quote and proceed with procurement and deployment steps for the coming school year. Board members said they planned follow-up conversations with staff about device management, insurance and community communication.