SOLEDAD — New iPads have been ordered for students at Soledad Unified School District after the school board passed a motion during its Sept. 9 meeting to buy 800 of them.
These new devices with cases will update the iPads Air 1 models first leased in 2015 by the district and still in use in the equipment pool.
“The Soledad USD seeks to stay as current as possible with student-issued technology devices,” said Randy Bangs, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services. “This ensures that operating systems can be kept up to date in order to ensure the use of the latest, most current learning applications.”
Direction in the agenda item budgeted the purchase to not exceed $356,736 for the 800 iPads. To make the purchase order, the district will piggyback on a contract made by the Glendale Unified School District.
Bangs said the devices are expected to arrive in February at the soonest, but possibly March, due to a backorder on iPads worldwide.
“The district is also seeking to provide iPads for use with preschool students’ distance learning,” Bangs said. “Some of the iPads being ordered are to replace those which are inoperable and cannot be repaired in a cost-effective manner.”
