STAFF EDITORIALS
The Voice of California High School

For those who thought the district could not become more grandiose with its spending, think again.

The San Ramon Unified School District recently announced it wants to put iPads in the hands of every fifth, eighth and 12th grade student.

While this is a good idea in theory, the actual execution of this would be disastrous. The district is obviously not thinking about the adverse effects of getting enough iPads. The cost of one iPad, even with educational discounts, is around $400 dollars, not counting the cost of a protective case.

According to Superintendent Steve Enoch, if the district gets iPads, it will also have to pay to equip the school with more Wi-Fi, furthering the cost of getting iPads.

One would think why the district is interested in paying for more Wi-Fi. Last we checked, it was trying to get rid of it, as it was with Cal (See editorial above).

To pay for these new iPads, the district plans to ask for an increase in the technology budget from $2 million to $3 million in the next two years.

The district will also be asking the parents of every fifth, eighth and 12th grader for a $60 donation, as well as seeking corporate donations.

The cost of iPads and Wi-Fi isn’t the only thing to worry about either. While no student wants to steal a textbook, they might want to swipe a brand new iPad. Some of the iPads Cal purchased for classroom use already have already gone missing, rendering them worthless.

Also, dropped textbooks don’t break. Dropped iPads do. By getting iPads, the district is hoping students will care for the iPads like a newborn baby.

This won’t happen.

While getting iPads can be a huge tool for helping students learn, the cost alone is a reason not to get them. There will always be a bigger and better technology for education.
Maybe instead of trying to get the current “next big thing,” the district should spend its money on improving the technology it already has.