Board weighs $1.4 million rise in capital needs and Apple device refresh options

Craven County Schools staff presented a prioritized capital plan and two Apple device-lease scenarios during the budget work session, saying capital needs rose about $1.4 million because of market price increases and project bid updates.

Facilities staff cited the Havelock student parking-lot estimate as an example of higher-than-anticipated costs: an initial estimate of $160,000 grew substantially when bids came back. Staff also noted ongoing facility needs at New Bern High School, where modular classroom floor systems were described as deteriorated after roughly 36 years of use.

On technology, staff outlined an Apple-device refresh proposal for K–5 and a separate 6–12 refresh. The district expects a potential buyback of the district's 8,000 aging devices to offset roughly $600,000 of the first-year lease; with that buyback the first year could be largely neutral, with additional lease-year costs thereafter.

Board members debated the scope of devices for early grades. One board member said she opposes a 1:1 rollout for kindergarten and first grade, arguing for pencil-and-paper learning in many contexts and cautioning against unnecessary spending. Other board members and staff countered that state testing and some intervention programs require online devices and specialized assistive technology that only iPads support.

Staff said they will return to the board with refined capital priorities and recommended rankings to fit the district's overall request to county commissioners. No capital approvals were made at the meeting.