Lawrence school district officials have recommended approval of a plan to issue iPads to every middle school student, but a similar rollout for the high school level has been put on hold.

The Lawrence school board will vote at its meeting Monday whether to approve a school district proposal to purchase 5,000 iPads. Board members were not convinced iPads were preferable to laptops when the proposal was introduced at their meeting last month.

“I do think board members want some more specific information about why that’s the right choice, and some comparisons for why that’s a better choice than options that other districts have had success with,” school board President Vanessa Sanburn said following the meeting.

The iPads would be acquired through a lease-purchase agreement with Apple that totals about $3.2 million. As part of the agreement, the district would pay an interest rate of about 1 percent over a four-year period, which amounts to about $47,000 in interest payments.

In addition to about $2.5 million for the 5,000 iPads, there are also some laptops being purchased. The agreement includes $382,000 for 500 MacBook Air computers. The rest of the total is made up of accessories, services or training.

About half of the iPads would be for the middle school level, where every student would be issued the device next school year. If approved by the board, the district’s more than 2,400 middle school students would be the first grade level to have a 1-1 student-to-device ratio. The remaining iPads would be distributed throughout the district, many going to support additional blended learning classrooms.

The proposal is a joint effort between the district’s Educational Programs and Technology department, headed by Assistant Superintendent Jerri Kemble, and the Teaching and Learning department, headed by Assistant Superintendent Angelique Nedved. The proposal provides a “rationale” as to why the iPads are the best device for middle school students.

“The device most suitable for the middle school 1:1 environment is the iPad because of its ability to transform teaching, create an equitable environment regardless of internet access outside of school, functionality, durability and financial implications,” the proposal states.

The iPads are significantly less expensive than laptops. The agreement with Apple includes an educational discount, and the district is getting the iPads for $498 each. By contrast, the 500 MacBook Air computers in the district’s agreement are $764 each.

More than 75 other Kansas school districts have already initiated one-to-one programs districtwide, according to a recent Kansas State Department of Education survey. Originally, the Lawrence district’s discussion on device purchases included a one-to-one rollout for the high school level as well, but district officials said more consideration is needed to determine which devices — iPads or laptops — are best for those students.

Almost all high school students have a digital textbook for at least one subject, and the device checkout programs at the high school level have maintained waiting lists all year. Though some of the new MacBook Airs will go toward expanding the high schools’ checkout programs, ensuring a one-to-one ratio has been postponed another year.

One of the concerns voiced last month by board members in purchasing a tablet such as an iPad — where typing is done on a virtual, touch-screen keyboard– instead of a laptop is the lack of a physical keyboard. While the agreement with Apple does include 500 attachable keyboards, that would leave 90 percent of the new iPads without one.

When the proposal was discussed in the board’s last meeting, several board members said they wanted to see more data comparing the use of iPads with laptops in a classroom environment. District administrators will present the proposal, along with any additional data, to the board ahead of the vote.

In other business, the board will:

• Review a report on the superintendent leadership transition. Assistant Superintendent Kyle Hayden was hired earlier this month to fill the post.

• Discuss the recent absences of board member Kris Adair. Adair has not been present for several board engagements over the past month.

• Vote on whether to approve a bond construction bid for Broken Arrow, Prairie Park, Quail Run and Sunflower elementary school projects.

• Vote on whether to approve a bond construction bid for Pinckney Elementary School.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.