Wabash board approves one-to-one device refresh, authorizes $738,802.25 student lease

At its April 6, 2026 meeting, the Wabash City Schools Board approved a districtwide technology refresh that keeps one-to-one iPads in grades 1–7, provides eight iPads per kindergarten classroom for centers and rotations, and issues Apple MacBook Neos to students in grades 8–12. Most instructional staff will receive MacBook Air laptops; some instructional staff may opt for iPads.

District staff told the board the student devices will be acquired through a four-year lease with a total cost of $738,802.25; annual lease payments were projected at about $165,000. Staff devices and related purchases will be paid from bond proceeds totaling $184,552. The district said proceeds from selling or “buying back’’ existing devices will cover the initial payment and the separate insurance cost for the Neos; subsequent annual lease payments are expected to come from the district’s annual curricular materials allocation from the state.

Board members asked for cost comparisons and logistics. Presenters said the new MacBook Neo model runs about $494 per device (insurance not included) while an iPad package including case and insurance was quoted at about $513; the insurance difference (about $129) explained most of the unit-cost variance discussed. The presenters also said kindergarten classrooms currently had one device per student and would move to a shared set of eight devices to enable station work; devices currently are not issued for students to take home. Staff who wish to purchase their replaced MacBooks may do so; the district said it will sell retired iPads in bulk (not individually) to maximize resale value.

After discussion, the board voted to approve the proposal. A district staff member present during the discussion noted Mr. Bale helped calculate quantities and buyback prices. The board recorded the motion as approved on a roll call in which members responded "I."