LA Board of Education Approves $115 Million Deal to Bring iPads to 38 More Campuses

The Los Angeles Board of Education has approved a $115 Million plan to bring Apple iPad to 38 additional school campuses, reports the Los Angeles Times. The deal will fall short of the 67,500 tablets the district staff had requested, but will provide around 40,000 - 50,000 units instead.

Board members approved a $115-million proposal that removed entirely a cap on how many iPads the district could buy for standardized testing scheduled for the spring. But they insist the number will be well below the 67,500 tablets the district staff had recommended. The iPads used for testing will be shared by different classes during the six weeks of testing.

The oversight committee, relying on a district analysis, had recommended purchasing about 38,500 tablets for testing.

Senior L.A. Unified officials, however, decided that schools should have more tablets in the event of unexpected problems. A majority of the oversight panel decided there was no justification for the 30,000 additional tablets. Even the lower figure, 38,500, was likely to be much larger than needed, according to a review by a consultant for the oversight committee.

The iPads will primarily be used for standardized testing scheduled for the spring.The district is putting up $768 per each device, much higher than what the device is worth, however, that cost includes network upgrades at the schools, as well as curriculum for classrooms using iPads.

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