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The student-run news site of Lawrence Free State High School

Free Press Online

The student-run news site of Lawrence Free State High School

Free Press Online

The student-run news site of Lawrence Free State High School

Free Press Online

Typing away, senior Jaehee Kim does homework on her MacBook.

NEWS: MacBook Refresh

Om Bhakta, Reporter October 6, 2025

After two years of having iPads as the main device for school work, USD 497 implemented MacBooks. For all students except seniors, this would be the first year with MacBooks provided unless they participated...

Digital illustration by Ava Talbott.

NEWS: Back To Mac

Ebi Hegeman, Yearbook Managing Editor August 18, 2025

After two years of iPads as the primary device, the USD 497 School Board announced that the two high schools would be returning to updated MacBook Airs in April of 2025. While some students had access...

Studying math, sophomore Willow Marable takes notes using her iPad and stylus. While Marable misses having a laptop, she still prefers taking notes online instead of on paper. “I would use my iPad to take notes, because it’s easier to organize and faster to edit than pen and paper, and it also has autocorrect,” Marable said.

NEWS: MacBooks Out, iPads In

Stella Mosier, News Copy Editor September 8, 2023

Starting off this school year has been majorly different for every high school student in the district. The transition between the iPads and MacBooks has shown major differences in technology, which has...

Senior Ashanti Riccardo draws on an iPad using a pen. Next year, students will be given a pen along with their iPad to allow similar functionality.

NEWS: Trading MacBooks for iPads

February 23, 2023

For six years, USD 497 high school students have been provided with MacBooks for school; however, the school board has opted to transition to iPads next year. The board made the decision on Jan. 23,...

Senior Evan White edits news spread on Adobe InDesign while looking at newspaper planning website.

EDITORIAL: iPads: An Equity Issue

Allison Mayhew, Editor-in-Chief February 19, 2023

Although the recent decision by the USD 497 school board to switch from MacBooks to iPads is estimated to save $4 million in capital outlay funds and $600,000-$750,000 in general fund repair costs over...

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