Kansas City Schools Replace 30,000 Windows Devices

Why this is here: Kansas City Public Schools plans to retire over 30,000 existing devices, shifting to an Apple-based system across all classrooms.

Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri purchased over 4,500 MacBook Neo laptops for students in eighth grade and above. The district intends to replace more than 30,000 existing devices with Apple products, including iPads and MacBook Airs, to streamline technology across classrooms. KCPS hopes a single-platform approach will simplify support for students and teachers.

The move places Apple in direct competition with Chromebooks and budget Windows laptops, offering a macOS option at a lower price point. Intel is also attempting to maintain a presence in schools with its Project Firefly, aiming for Windows laptops under $600.

However, KCPS must still demonstrate the long-term viability of this transition. Managing repair costs, teacher training, and consistent costs as older devices are retired remains a challenge. The district will need to prove that its Apple-based setup is cost-effective at scale.