The district of USD 230 has supplied students with MacBook Airs for years. The administration recently announced that this will change as of next year. Starting next fall, MacBook Airs will be replaced with iPads in a keyboard case. Students and teachers have different thoughts on this change.

“I think if you look at our usage for our MacBook Airs, we utilize the Google platform quite a bit, and so it’s an app that we can put on the iPad. It’s not really saving us money upfront cost wise, [but] it is in repair costs. So an iPad is a little cheaper to repair than it is for a MacBook Air computer,” Marc Williams, principal, said.

 While many students feel like iPads are a downgrade, there are also students who point out the benefits.

“I’m kind of excited because the touch screens are going to be cool. If they provide us with apple pens, I feel like note taking will be really easy on [an iPad], and I feel like it’ll be really easy to be organized,” Mikayla Duncan, 10, said.

Upon this change, teachers will be given a choice of either keeping their MacBook Air or replacing it with an iPad Pro.

“My guess is that the iPad has more functionality for what teachers and students might want to use. I know there’s been a lot of complaining about the MacBooks and that they don’t hold up…[the iPad] is a smaller device, maybe more powerful,” Andi Husted, English teacher, said. “I went and played with [an iPad Pro] because I don’t like the MacBook at all…I liked the touch screen, I liked the pencil that goes with it.”

Husted said that the iPad was a high quality product, and she is excited to learn about what it can provide. Mikayla Duncan, 10, also has thoughts.

“I feel like a con is [that] they’re going to die quicker. They’re like phones, they’ll have shorter battery life in my opinion,” Duncan said. “I’m kind of excited, but also I like my Macbook. But I’m not super against it.”

Some clubs at the high school, like Student Publications and Video Production, require devices that can withstand advanced softwares. Those students will be given accommodations on having some access to MacBook Airs. 

“We’re still giving students access to technology, they’re still able to use it, and I’m happy that the district is going to provide a keyboard for it also,” Williams said. “I think it’s going to take everyone a little bit of time to get used to it, and it’s going to take the staff and students time to come up with the beneficial apps that it can be able to offer for students.”

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