photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence school district offices building, located at 110 McDonald Dr., is pictured in May 2025.

Lawrence school board members will consider a plan to sell off surplus technology – including many used MacBooks – after approving new laptops for high school students.

On Tuesday, school board members will consider a sale of surplus technology devices after the board previously purchased new MacBooks for both staff and high school students. The extra technology devices are no longer needed, and according to board policy, any extra equipment must be sold or disposed of under the board’s direction.

The district outlined a main priority of the 2025-2026 school year to replace iPads with MacBooks for a “more college aligned laptop” for high school students. While the district previously had iPads available to the students, the district also had some MacBooks for temporary checkout at the high schools.

After reviewing bids from four companies, the district is recommending going with Synetic Technologies, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri. Synetic Technologies has offered the best deal overall, including not charging for missing parts, helping with packing and pick-up and offering a program that allows community members to buy some of the used MacBooks, according to the agenda.

The public would be able to buy 2020 M1 MacBooks with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage through a Shopify link managed by Synetic Technologies. The agenda said prices will be between $350 and $400, and each computer will come cleaned, data-wiped and with a 90-day warranty.

The sale would be open for two weeks in June, and devices will be available for pickup at a designated school district site in late July. If the timeframe is not convenient, purchasers can pick up their devices directly from Synetic’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

This agenda item is a part of the school board’s consent agenda, where everything is approved in one motion.

In other business, school board members will:

• Consider approving the purchase of Handwriting Without Tears, a curriculum resource to help teach handwriting, for the 2025-2026 school year in an amount not to exceed $70,000.

• Consider approving the purchase and installation of Alerton Compass software and controllers for the HVAC system at the Educational Support Center in the amount of $38,700, from Charles D. Jones Co.

• Consider the proposal submitted by Jayhawk Fire Sprinkler Co. Inc. for fire sprinkler head repairs at multiple buildings across the district to meet the National Fire Protection Association’s standards at an estimated cost of $46,458.

• Consider approving the extension and purchase of 740 licenses of myPerspectives English Language Arts 2017 Digital Courseware, Grade 9 in the amount of $24,240. The original purchase was for a six-year license expiring at the end of July, and the extension will make it accessible for another year during the 2025-2026 school year.

As of Friday, no reports or other business was scheduled for Tuesday’s meeting.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. The meeting will also be available via the school district’s YouTube channel. Residents who want to share comments with the board may sign up in advance by emailing PublicComment@usd497.org by 6 p.m. Tuesday and may participate in person or via Webex video/phone conferencing.