The Beaumont Independent School District is stepping away from its older setup of Chromebooks to bring a massive hardware upgrade to its classrooms. This Texas district recently approved an $11.19 million deal to lease devices from Apple over the next four years. Students and teachers will soon have access to over 14,000 new tools to support their daily education and general classroom work.
Students and teachers get thousands of new devices
The district will hand out 14,585 devices to everyone from pre-K through 12th grade. Younger students in pre-K up to the second grade will receive more than 4,000 units of the iPad to help with early learning. Meanwhile, older students in third through 12th grade will get 9,500 units of the MacBook Neo for their coursework.
Teachers are also getting a big upgrade. The district set aside 1,000 laptops just for staff. This rollout replaces a fleet of old Chromebooks that were over five years old. Keeping those aging laptops running was costing the district close to half a million dollars in repairs and tech support alone.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
The district saves money while getting better overall performance
Before making a final choice, school officials tested laptops from Lenovo and Asus. They found that the new Apple gear offered the best reliability and speed for their needs. The Asus models had good upfront prices but cost more over a four-year period and had plastic parts that broke easily.
The Lenovo option came with a higher four-year cost and a 4% minimum financing rate. The newly chosen hardware came with better financing terms and access to AppleCare, making it a smart financial choice. By swapping out the failing Chromebook fleet, the district hopes to provide a smoother and more reliable learning experience for years to come.
Discussion