Lisbon will be renewing a lease with Apple for new laptops and iPads for the district.

Technology director Cam Eichorn said that he is looking to lock in an order for new computers by the end of this calendar year, to lock the district into another four-year lease at zero percent interest.

With that lease, Eichorn said the district will be purchasing iPads for students up through eighth grade, while high school students will be getting MacBooks. That is a change from previous years, when middle school grades received MacBooks as well.

Eichorn said the decision to go with iPads for the middle school students is only partially related to costs. While students do have more breakage to laptop screens, many of the students are respectful of the technology devices they have.

“I’m a huge proponent of utilizing iPads for students,” Eichorn said.

Portability was one of the huge benefits for students. The apps that can be used for educational purposes, as well as a device that works readily with needed assistance devices. The devices allow more collaboration when working in groups. Eichorn also said that they have better life than MacBooks.

Eichorn said when it comes to broken iPads, they are cheaper for students and the district to replace.

“When a student breaks a laptop screen, it costs them roughly $150 and the district the other half of that cost,” Eichorn said. “A broken screen on an iPad is cheaper for both the district and students and their families.”

Eichorn also said many students have been using tablets like iPads from elementary school.

“It’s easy for them to learn on these devices,” Eichorn said.

The change will also impact teachers in those grades, and Eichorn said there will be training for resources that are available or how to best implement these devices in education moving forward.

Superintendent Autumn Pino said learning to use iPads better prepares students for life.

“Any kid can adapt to using just a laptop after using a tablet device,” Pino said. “This equips students to work better and continue with what they’ve learned on previously in elementary school. This was a student centered decision that makes sense.”

The district will have time to explore if shifting to iPads for the high school students in a few years will be the best use of time as well.

Eichorn said the district is looking to make at least $135,000 from the sale of current equipment they are leasing, enough to make a payment on the first year of the new lease for equipment.

Eichorn said AppleTV mounts in many classrooms will remain, and the district will look to phase out projectors in classrooms in exchange for TVs that an AppleTV can cast instead.

“Those televisions are cheaper than projectors to replace if we need to,” Eichorn said.