macbook neo pilot

Methow Valley School District — Fall 2026

We're buying replacement devices this cycle. Instead of Chromebooks, buy macbook neos. Same monitoring, same filtering, same Google Workspace — a real computer instead of a browser.

Why this, why now. In robotics, 35% of students use district MacBook Airs for Blender, Adobe, and development tools. We've run out of loaners — and access depends on which class you're in. This pilot makes it a program by grade, not by classroom.

$338
per student to upgrade
Chromebook cost is already in the budget. This is the difference.

Two Options

Seniors 48 students
macbook neo @ $499$23,952
AppleCare+ 3yr @ $139$6,672
MDM @ $5$240
Minus Chromebooks already budgeted-$14,400
Upgrade cost$16,464
Juniors + Seniors 96 students
macbook neo @ $499$47,904
AppleCare+ 3yr @ $139$13,344
MDM @ $5$480
Minus Chromebooks already budgeted-$28,800
Upgrade cost$32,928

Equity by grade, not by classroom. Every junior and senior gets the same device. District-owned, district-managed. No student provides their own.

AppleCare+ covers accidental damage for 3 years — drops, spills, cracked screens. Two incidents per year at the lowest repair fees of any Mac. Repairs go through Apple directly, not district IT. This shifts repair ownership to the student and Apple, not Mark.

Expansion model. To grow the program, stop buying Chromebooks for the next grade down and extend neos instead. The Chromebook budget covers the base — $338/student is the additional cost to add one grade per year. Slow expansion rather than all at once.

Everything Required Still Works

✓GoGuardian — same filtering and monitoring, macOS system agent, same teacher dashboard
✓Google Workspace — Docs, Sheets, Drive, Classroom all work in Chrome on macOS
✓CIPA / E-Rate — content filtering unchanged, GoGuardian active on and off campus
✓Skyward — web-based, any browser
✓State testing — SBAC secure browser available for macOS
✓Take-home — same program, device goes home, GoGuardian active
✓Transparent and monitorable — educators see student screens in class, parents can request info on what's monitored
✓Policy compliance — under $75K, no formal bid required. Capital levy eligible.

What Students Gain

+Blender → 3D printer — model it, print it
+Adobe Suite — Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro (district site license, works on macOS)
+Claude Code + AI tools — terminal, AI-assisted coding, native Claude and ChatGPT apps
+Python, web dev, real IDEs — build and test on the device, not in a browser sandbox
+GarageBand + iMovie — music and video production, included free
+5-7 year lifespan — aluminum build, AppleCare+ accidental damage, outlasts Chromebooks

Timeline

Funding the Upgrade

The Chromebook budget covers the base. The upgrade cost can come from multiple sources:

•District funding — tech levy, existing device budget, capital projects
•PSFA / Community Foundation — a targeted ask for student devices is straightforward and tangible
•Grants — CTE, STEM, rural ed technology (if time and availability allow)
•Community donations — individual donors, local businesses. A named device ($499) or a named cohort is tangible and fundable.
•Blended — the upgrade for 48 seniors is $16,464. Split across two or three sources and it's a small ask from each.

$338 per student. That's the upgrade from a browser to a computer.

Same GoGuardian. Same Google Workspace. Same monitoring.

Desktop apps. AI tools. Creative software. A device that lasts longer.

48 or 96 students. One year. See what happens.