MacTrast reported back in June about Apple being awarded a $30 million contract to supply iPads to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Apple had noted that the contract was just the first phase of a larger tablet rollout for the school district. A new report today shows just how big the entire program is.
The first 31,000 iPads are only the initial phase of the program, which plans to buy and distribute iPads to all 640,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school district by late 2014, Mark Hovatter, the chief facilities executive for the LAUSD, told CITEworld.
“The most important thing is to try to prepare the kids for the technology they are going to face when they are going to graduate,” said Hovatter. “This is phase one, a mix of high school, middle school, and elementary students. We’re targeting kids who most likely don’t have their own computers or laptops or iPads. Their only exposure to computers now is going to be in their schools.”
The iPads will be loaded with the Pearson Common Core System of Courses delivered via a new app. Additionally, each iPad will come preloaded with the iWork suite (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) and iLife (iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand) in addition to a range of educational third-party apps
The program will expose numerous children to Apple’s ecosystem that may not already have access to it.
“Education is in Apple’s DNA and we’re thrilled to work with Los Angeles Unified public schools on this major initiative as they plan to roll out iPads to every student across 47 campuses this fall,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing last month. “Schools around the world have embraced the engaging and interactive quality of iPad with nearly 10 million iPads already in schools today.”
“The Board voted unanimously for Apple because iPad rated the best in quality, was the least expensive option and received the highest scoring by the review panel that included students and teachers,” said Jaime Aquino, LAUSD Deputy Superintendent of Instruction.
