Hopkinton Schools Approve Three-Year Lease for Apple Computers

The Hopkinton School Committee agreed Tuesday to a three-year lease that will expand the use of Apple computers from pre-school to high school.

The district's youngest students, pre-schoolers, will have access to iPads, while teachers at Hopkinton High School will receive new laptop computers. Other grade levels will also have expanded access to in-school computers.

The lease-to-own arrangement will cost the district $85,219 a year for three years, with an option to purchase the lot for $1 at the end of the lease.

The computers will become available in the 2013-14 school year. Apple was the only vendor to submit a bid.

The only discussion among School Committee members was whether the "Apple Care" contract, which covers maintenance and repair following the one-year warranty, was a good deal.

Director of Finance, Ralph Dumas, said a lease arrangement will allow the district to  get computers into the schools quickly. "It allows you to get a lot of machines in a short period of time," he said.