Civic Memorial High School educators back MacBook Neo for classroom use

Geralyn Hawkins, CTE department chair at Civic Memorial High School, told the meeting she supports acquiring the MacBook Neo because “it runs a full Mac operating system and it's not a limited system like the Chromebooks,” allowing students to run Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and CAD programs on a single device.

Hawkins said the school currently maintains two computer labs — one in industrial technology and one in the business department — and that if students had MacBook Neos, “we would essentially save money because we would not have to replace these labs every 3 to 4 years,” allowing the school to reallocate funds toward other career and technical education equipment.

Clint Walters, who identified himself as being from Civic Memorial High School, said prospective Mac products appear more durable than many Chromebooks, citing an aluminum case versus the plastic models that often crack. “I think you're gonna find a lot more longevity versus some of the cracked screens and different things we see with the plastics,” he said, adding that students’ familiarity with Apple devices could boost creativity and use.

Walters also raised a technical workflow concern: he described students using professional cameras for projects but lacking a straightforward way to transfer footage to their phones for reporting and editing, which he linked to limitations of current devices. The transcript ends before that remark is completed.

The remarks in the transcript are discussion and advocacy; the transcript contains no record of a formal motion, vote or decision on purchasing the devices.