School board approves lease-purchase for 1,000 Apple devices
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Summary
The Grand Island Public Schools Board authorized the superintendent to finalize a lease-purchase agreement with Apple Inc. for about 1,000 staff devices (roughly $808,000), with a capped annual payment of $350,000 and a term not to exceed seven years.
The Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education voted Nov. 13, 2025, to authorize the superintendent or a designee to negotiate and execute a lease-purchase agreement with Apple Inc. for roughly 1,000 staff devices.
Corey Gearhart, the district technology lead, told the board the move is meant to standardize staff hardware on a single platform and reduce the district's long-term support burden. "It's for 1,000 devices, and it's about $808,000," Gearhart said, and he added Apple offered 0% interest financing and a $100-per-unit price incentive if the district proceeded quickly.
Gearhart said the unified model-year fleet will simplify troubleshooting and may increase residual value at the end of the life cycle. In presenting the motion, a board member proposed limits on the contract: a maximum annual payment of $350,000 or less and a term not exceeding seven years. Miss Albers seconded the motion. President McFarland called the vote and the motion passed (the transcript records "Motion passed" without a roll-call tally).
The board did not provide a recorded roll-call count in the public transcript. The agreement authorizes the superintendent's office to finalize financing terms and execute documents consistent with the board's motion; the district will return with any required contract documents and implementation details as needed.
Next steps: district staff will complete the lease paperwork with Apple's finance department and schedule device deployment and staff-support plans consistent with the equipment-management timeline Gearhart outlined.