Santa Barbara Unified School District approved a $700,000 iPad Air purchase at Tuesday’s board meeting. Discussed at great length over the past several months, boardmembers gave district administrators the go-ahead to officially begin the one-to-one pilot program. Third through 6th graders at Washington, Adams, and Franklin elementary schools and 11th graders at La Cuesta High School will receive iPads and cases next month. The district is fronting the bill with the Common Core State Implementation Funds but is expecting most of the families to lease-to-buy the devices for about $20 a month for the next three years (based on results from parent surveys). Several boardmembers voiced concerns about the shelf life of the devices and logistics of the multiyear rollout, but all approved the purchase and conceded responsibility to the district.
