Back in 2013 the LA School District announced their plans to start handing out iPads to its students but later this year, that plan was suspended due to criticisms that the deal was biased and ended up favoring Apple and Pearson who would have provided the educational materials for the tablets.
Well if you were wondering if a new and better deal could be reached that would see the program revived, you might be disappointed to learn that no such thing will be happening. According to a report from the LA Times, it has been revealed that the program has been officially ended. This was confirmed by LAUSD superintendent Ramon C. Cortines.
According to Cortines, “We’re not going to use the original iPad contract anymore. I think there have been too many innuendos, rumors, etc., and based on my reading of a great deal of material over Thanksgiving, I came to this conclusion. As CEO and steward of a billion-dollar operation, I have to make sure things are done properly so they are not questioned.”
The decision to end their contract with Apple follows a recent FBI seizure of 20 boxes of documents from the LA School District as part of their investigation into the deal with Apple. The FBI is said to be looking into the deal which would see the district spend $500 million in iPads and curriculum, followed by $800 million on staff, improved broadband, and other expenses.