Laptop expense just doesn't compute
Bangor Daily News, January 8, 2008
(excerpt) The Legislature, the governor and the Department of Education should look closely at the state’s laptop program. While the objective of the program has value, has the state’s way of meeting that objective ever been fiscally valid? As far as we can tell from talking with educators around the state, the initial cost of providing laptops for Maine’s seventh- and eighth-graders was approximately $37 million. Replacement costs to date have been approximately $41 million. With additional replacements, over a 10-year period costs will probably exceed $100 million.
The Department of Education proposes expanding the laptop program to ninth through 12th grades (it has already expanded the program to high school teachers at a cost of $2 million per year for four years). On the basis of previous costs for seventh and eighth grades, initial costs for expansion to students in grades nine through 12 should exceed $80 million. Over a 10-year period the cost should exceed $200 million. With all these expenditures, kindergarten through grade six (arguably the most important) will still be uncovered. Is this the wisest use of scarce state revenues? How else might these dollars be spent?
(excerpt) The Legislature, the governor and the Department of Education should look closely at the state’s laptop program. While the objective of the program has value, has the state’s way of meeting that objective ever been fiscally valid? As far as we can tell from talking with educators around the state, the initial cost of providing laptops for Maine’s seventh- and eighth-graders was approximately $37 million. Replacement costs to date have been approximately $41 million. With additional replacements, over a 10-year period costs will probably exceed $100 million.
The Department of Education proposes expanding the laptop program to ninth through 12th grades (it has already expanded the program to high school teachers at a cost of $2 million per year for four years). On the basis of previous costs for seventh and eighth grades, initial costs for expansion to students in grades nine through 12 should exceed $80 million. Over a 10-year period the cost should exceed $200 million. With all these expenditures, kindergarten through grade six (arguably the most important) will still be uncovered. Is this the wisest use of scarce state revenues? How else might these dollars be spent?
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