Independence schools begin iPad replacement

The Independence School District will begin upgrading its current fleet of student iPads. 

The Independence school board last Tuesday unanimously approved buying 100 new iPads for students to use as technology continues to merge with education.  

Students from kindergarten through 12th grade use the devices, District Administrator/High School Principal Paul Franzwa said Tuesday. 

Laptops used to be used in the district, which eventually transitioned to the iPads. The current iPads are eighth generation devices and will be replaced with new, 10th generation iPads. 

Replacing the devices will cost $62,000, and the district expects to receive $7-9,000 for its old iPads to help bring that cost down. 

Franzwa said the district hoped to receive the new devices for use this year, but shipping and demand could mean waiting until next year. 

“They’re excellent. As far as viruses and things like that, they are very dependable and we have a great warranty that you just can’t beat,” Franzwa said.

The district could consider transitioning back to laptops in the future, especially as students in college often need computers over tablets. 

Some tests and college coursework offered to high school students can’t be taken on the iPads. Students are given laptops to do that work right now, but the district only owns a few of those computers. 

“What I see out in the world,” Franzwa said, “is when kids go off to tech school or when they go off to continue their education at a college, a lot of times you see them on a laptop. And so I think we need to think about making that transition.”