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District installs new SMART boards and weighs device strategy as older iPads near end of life
Summary
The district installed rolling SMART LCD panels and laser projectors, is testing two-factor authentication, and is evaluating device strategy as older ninth-generation iPads reach end-of-life; the district will consider warranty options, potential Apple device refreshes and whether to shift some grades to laptops.
District technology staff told the school committee on Dec. 1 that it completed a broad audiovisual upgrade over the summer, installing rolling SMART touchscreen panels in pre-K through Grade 6 classrooms and replacing projectors at Nipmuc with laser projectors for grades 7 and 8.
The technology lead said the new SMART boards behave "basically a big LCD panel, with touchscreen," and the district configured software updates to support the new hardware. Staff praised maintenance and vendor support for installation and reported ongoing help-desk work as teachers and students adapt to the equipment.
On device lifecycle and platform strategy, IT staff reported that ninth-generation iPads are now out of warranty and are showing wear (failing batteries and charging issues). "The ninth gen iPads that we have are out of warranty now, so we're doing repairs on those and they're costing us some money," the IT speaker said.
Board members and staff discussed trade-offs between continuing with iPads or moving older students to laptops: laptops may last longer (six to eight years vs. three to four years for some iPads), but some classroom activities and testing tools (lockdown browser availability) currently used on iPads create dependencies. Staff said Apple offered to replace devices to standardize the district’s fleet, which would simplify accessories and management, and the district is exploring a 4-year AppleCare warranty for future device leases.
Two-factor authentication (Duo) was set up and tested but full deployment was delayed because of reliability issues with Google Suite integration; staff said they hope to roll out Duo before the holiday break after addressing outstanding technical issues.
The committee asked for a cost-comparison (refresh scenarios for K–8 vs. K–12 and laptop vs. iPad options) and recommended a spring presentation with more detailed cost-benefit analysis for budget planning.
