District to Lease 909 New Computers

About 900 Bethlehem students will be using new school computers this fall.

Board members, in reconsidering a proposal from Apple computers to extend and restructure the current lease deal, decided to go ahead with the agreement, voting in favor of it 6-3 at Monday evening's meeting.

The lease, and , absorbs the current lease agreement, set to run through 2012, and also provides the district with 702 replacement laptops for middle and high school students. An additional 207 computers for the READ180 program to be paid for through grant funding.

Under the new agreement, the district will realize a $300,000 savings on the lease payment for the first year, paying $437,188 instead of the annual fee of $737,188, and then pay $559,680 annually through 2014.

In total, the new deal will save $2.4 million over four years versus the current payment and contract, Superintendent Joseph Roy said.

“Leasing will help spread the cost of the computers out over time,” said Frank Arbushites, Director of Information Technologies, noting that the district has the option to buy the computers for $1 apiece at the end of the lease. “Typically it's to our advantage to take advantage of the buy out.”

Several member of the school board changed their minds on the issue, which needed a clear majority of five board votes to pass.

Board member Irene Follweiler, who voted against the contract in June, said she changed her mind after being presented with comparison between the Apple deal and the potential costs associated with switching the district to PCs.

Follweiler said under consideration was not only the basic cost of the machines, but also software, training and support, which the produced specifics led her to believe the Apple contract was more prudent.

Member Aurea Ortiz, who also formerly rejected the contract, expressing concerns about cost, also voted in favor of it Monday.

Members Loretta Leeson and Eugene McKeon voted against the deal, as they had previously, joined by board member Benjamin Tenaglia, who had previously voted in favor of it in June. During discussion, he said he felt the matter had been previously settled and questioned if it was a good idea for the board to change its mind.