San Diego Unified School District purchases $10M worth of iPads for students

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According to several local media reports, including the one above from ABC 10News, the San Diego Unified School District recently purchased almost 26,000 iPads at a cost of over $10 million. The order, which will put iPads in approximately 340 classrooms for around $370 each ($30 off retail per unit), is the largest iPad rollout for a K-12 school district, and it will benefit children from fifth-grade to high school. SD Unified will also buy support and app packages, which likely explains the $15 million purchase reported by news outlets. 10News said some have questioned the district’s decision:

Some have questioned SD Unified’s purchase of $15 million worth of iPads for 340 classrooms. One 10News Facebook fan wrote: “I’m so confused. I thought we couldn’t afford to even pay the teachers, how can they afford 26,000 iPads???… 10News learned the district is paying for the iPads through Proposition S funding. The measure, passed in 2008 by 69 percent of the vote, specifically sets aside money for “up-to-date classroom technology.”