New California Charter School Opens with Refurbished Tech

A new Academy of Arts and Sciences charter school in California has opened its doors to students and refurbished computers.

Administrators at the school wanted to provide students with access to the latest technology but weren't prepared to pay the whopping price tag of $350,000 it would cost to buy more than 350 MacBooks directly from Apple. "We searched everywhere for the highest quality technology available within our budget," said Sean McManus, CEO of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, in a prepared statement.

Instead of buying new, the administrators turned to Mac to School, a company that buys, sells and refurbishes Apple computers and equipment for the education market. By opting for refurbished equipment, administrators were able buy those 350 MacBooks at a price approximately $245,000 less than buying new, according to Mac to School.

Even schools that want to buy new equipment can benefit from working with refurbished technology companies like Mac to School. Schools looking to upgrade can sell their used equipment to the refurbishers and use the funds to offset the cost of new equipment.

In addition to MacBooks, Mac to School also deals with Mac desktops, iPads and Apple accessories, depending on availability. Further information can be found on the company's site.

Schools interested in buying refurbished PCs can turn to the Microsoft Refurbisher Program, which provides a directory of Microsoft registered refurbishers.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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