Journal Article 10
Kansas School District Rolls Out 1:1 MacBook Programs
By Dave Nagel
The Journal
November 2007

In one of the poorest school districts in Kansas, all high school students and teachers have been given dual-core Intel-based MacBook laptops from Apple. The students received their laptops on Nov. 6th and 7th. Immediately the teachers saw the kids jump on the computers and begin exploring.
The district chose the Mac-based system because the system came fully loaded with great software for the students. The computers come with creative software in iLife, which includes DVD capabilities, NLE (I-Move) and Garage Band, which is a full pod casting and music production environment. The school expects the students to be producers of information, not just consumers.
The school was able to afford the computers by using money that was planned to redo the athletic fields. The school board decided to help all the students, rather than just a few. There were people in the community that were not in favor of the students getting computers, one local DJ suggested the students would sell the computers and use the money for drugs. The school district decided to trust the students, and help all of them to succeed.
The computers actually are leased so the school is not stuck with out dated systems over the next few years. The computers come equipped with serial numbers that can be traced. And a remote system that can track and disarm the computers if they become lost or stolen.
This is the first year of the program, it will be interesting to see the results.