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District reports Waterloo iPad pilot cut repairs; staff propose shared iPad model for lower grades with multi‑year cost estimate
Summary
A Waterloo iPad pilot produced far fewer repairs than prior Chromebook fleets; staff proposed moving younger grades to shared iPad carts and estimated a broader multi‑year refresh could total about $6.7 million.
District technology leaders presented results from a Waterloo iPad pilot and described a recommended approach to refresh student devices across lower grade levels.
Kevin Hauser said the district piloted iPads at Waterloo and reported that "we've not had a single 1" broken iPad in that pilot, and that districtwide repairs at those grades dropped from highs of about 25 per day to a high of 15 per day and a 50% reduction in repairs at some elementary grades. He described a model for younger students that would rely on shared classroom carts (25–30 iPads per cart shared across two or three classes) rather than a full 1:1 take-home program for the youngest grades.
Payne and Hauser discussed cost scenarios. The staff presented a rough district-wide replacement figure for a full 1:1 refresh and said they are targeting a shared model to reduce cost; Payne characterized a broader refresh package as "closer to the $6,700,000 mark," framed as a minimum multi‑year investment and dependent on final vendor quotes and budgeting. Board members asked for more granular counts and the presentation team said they would provide device counts, age and cost details ahead of formal recommendations.
Staff also described warranties and resale strategy: the district purchased AppleCare for the pilot devices, which offers a limited number of repairs per device, and staff noted that iPads retain more resale value than Chromebooks, which helps offset future refresh costs.
