Our school is BYOD. Both of my kids use a MacBook Air. I typically purchase refurbished models in August before school starts. I put cheap thin clam shell covers on them for protection. They use the MacBooks through the school year. I sell them in the summer on eBay with the remainder of the 1 year warranty. I get a good price on eBay because the purchaser has the remainder of the warranty and has the option of purchasing AppleCare to increase the warranty coverage. The kids always have current models and with full Apple warranty coverage. Right now you can purchase a June 2013 11.6 inch model for $719. The 2014 models should be available in the refurb store later in the summer.
