Board says no to Apple purchase
Monday, Sep 25, 2006 - 02:25:14 am EDT
By GERMAN LOPEZ
Staff writer
OAKLAND CITY-Despite expressed opinions of support for the idea in principle, the East Gibson board at a special meeting Friday voted to reject a proposal for the purchase of about 200 computers, citing displeasure with how Apple Computers and some EGSC administrators brokered the potential deal.
Expressing their disapproval at the fact that more than 100 computers have already been shipped to Wood Memorial Junior High School, at least two board members and several patrons questioned Supt. Lynn Blinzinger and Board President Roger Semmersheim about the proposal, which had not received final approval from the board.
At the board's Sept. 18 regular monthly meeting, Blinzinger told the board a purchase order had been sent to Apple for the computers and said about 20 had arrived at WMJHS. He said that nothing had been signed and the computers could be sent back if the board did not finalize the deal.
The board tabled the issue at that time, pending further study of Apple's proposal, which had been altered from one originally submitted. The $171,498.13 4-year lease proposal presented at the Sept. 18 meeting reduced the number of computers the EGSC was supposed to originally receive from 205 to 199.
At Friday's meeting, Blinzinger presented a new proposal from Apple that restored four computers to the deal, and would have the EGSC pay about $45,000 for the computers from the corporation's capital projects fund, thereby avoiding financing with Apple and saving money on possible interest charges.
Blinzinger said about 112 computers had arrived as of Friday, with about 90 arriving Sept. 15, three days before the board's September meeting. tristate-media.com |
