District weighs staff MacBook Air refresh after vendor quote exceeds budgeted per-device amount

District technology staff told the board they received a vendor quote of $979 per MacBook Air (M5) for a staff device refresh and are evaluating options to align costs with budget.

The technology lead said the district had budgeted a lower per-device amount (the packet text indicated $779 per device; the vendor quote provided today is $979). Staff will inquire about quote terms and availability of previous-generation models and will check quote hold times before returning with final numbers. The district plans to approve the purchase now but delay issuing payments until July 1 so expenditures fall in next fiscal year’s budget; delivery before July 1 would require current-year accounting.

Staff said the district typically offers employees the option to purchase their current device (market value ~ $200) and that prior sales recouped roughly $180,000. The lead said replacing all staff devices would cover roughly 1,100 laptops and noted warranty and lifecycle considerations (district expects a four-year replacement cycle).

What’s next: Technology staff will return with updated pricing, options (previous generation or alternate devices), and details on the quote expiration and total fiscal impact.

Numbers noted in the meeting: vendor quote $979 per device, budgeted $779 per device (as discussed during the meeting), approximately 1,100 staff devices to refresh, and potential resale recoup near $180,000. These figures were presented by district staff and are subject to confirmation in the vendor quote and packet materials.