Ann Arbor Public Schools switches to individual student Macbook Airs for the 2025-2026 school year, replacing the previous school-issued Chromebooks with costlier, more advanced devices.

With this $6 million investment, AAPS Executive Director of Technology Heather Kellstrom hopes that students will take accountability for their new belongings. “Ready access to a high-quality device is an important part of preparing high school students for life in the modern, global society,” says Kellstrom.

The switch to Macbooks has come at some surprise by students, who say they believe the update to be unnecessary. Pioneer High School Senior Emma Martinez says that the new policy is a bad one. “The old Chromebooks were working well enough,” she says. “Everything is similar.”

Whether these devices will survive in the hands of students is another issue. Martinez says she’s skeptical after the abuse of the Chromebooks. “There is a large possibility that people will be breaking the Macbooks sooner rather than later,” she says.

AAPS required all students to sign the Contract for Student Equipment Loan Agreement and the Technology Acceptable Use Policy upon receiving their devices. “Students may have up to two (2) repair incidents per year (July 1st to June 30th each year) with the AAPS Apple Warranty Program at no cost,” says the latter.

Pioneer Math teacher Mr. Hansen says that the Macbooks are a necessary upgrade. “Many of the Chromebooks had become defective and were perceived as ‘lower-end’ devices,” he says, leading to students bringing in home computers, as well as lacking accountability and respect for the Chromebooks.

AAPS also issued a large digital guide for the new Macbooks and their tools, including help with Finder, Freeform, Apple Intelligence, and Photos applications. Although these guides were distributed throughout the district, Pioneer Senior Gabriella Jordan-Galarza says they’re too long to be worth reading. “I knew I was never going to use that,” she says.

Hansen is supportive of the new tools. “I’d be interested in expanding Securly,” he says, “or an equivalent app that allows teachers to monitor student computer usage.”