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Niagara Falls district seeks board OK to lease 1,700 iPads for pre-K–2; pilot tested at 70 Ninth Street
Summary
Superintendent Mark Lohrey and the district technology team demonstrated Apple iPads and asked the Board to approve resolution 6.09 on Feb. 27 to lease about 1,700 devices for pre-K through second grade; the purchase would be BOCES-aidable and paid over three years.
Superintendent Mark Lohrey asked the Board of Education on Feb. 13 to approve resolution 6.09 on Feb. 27 to lease about 1,700 Apple devices for the district’s pre‑K through second‑grade classrooms, saying the current classroom computers "expired in December." If the board approves, Lohrey said the district would place the order the next day through Erie 1 BOCES and receive the devices in about six weeks.
The request follows a roughly year‑long pilot at 70 Ninth Street School and a half‑hour demonstration to the board by district technology staff and teachers. "This is about a million dollar purchase," Lohrey said, and the district plans to spread the cost across three years and keep devices for five years. He added the purchase is "BOCES aidable." Ed Maynard, the district’s elementary technology integrator who led much of the pilot, demonstrated classroom management, accessibility and language features on the iPads during the work session.
Why it matters: administrators said the district’s existing machines have reached end of life, and they described iPads as easier for younger learners to use and better at supporting dual‑language students and children with special needs. Maynard showed teachers how a classroom can lock or block a single device, push assignments with AirDrop and use built‑in Apple features such as Translate and VoiceOver to support multilingual and hearing‑impaired students.
Key details and timeline: the district said it would lease the devices over three years and retain them for five; it intends to buy AppleCare, manage apps centrally through Jamf, and configure devices before classroom rollout. Lohrey said Erie 1 BOCES already approved a resolution allowing purchase through BOCES; if the local board approves Feb. 27, Ray (district technology staff) would place the order and device production would take about six weeks, with teachers piloting and training continuing into the end of the school year and full implementation planned for September.
Board questions and staff responses: board members asked whether teachers or students could download apps and whether students could access inappropriate sites. Maynard said downloads would be controlled through Jamf and that the content‑filtering system would mirror the district’s laptop filtering so unguided browsing would be blocked. Staff said AppleCare coverage would be included, batteries last longer than the district’s old laptops, and devices can be federated so a student signs in once and remains logged in for the year. The district also said home use is possible but not required and that some classroom features—such as real‑time AirDrop assignment distribution—work only in close proximity.
Outstanding items: the board did not vote on the purchase at the Feb. 13 meeting; Lohrey asked members to consider resolution 6.09 on Feb. 27. The district described training plans and staffing for rollout but said final classroom distribution and any expansion beyond pre‑K–2 would depend on pilot results and future budget decisions.
Ending: district leaders thanked 70 Ninth Street teachers and students who participated in the pilot and reiterated that if approved, the order would be placed immediately so devices could arrive before spring recess and be staged for fall classroom use.
