School iPad Program Delayed

Though Santa Barbara school district administrators hoped to distribute more than 1,000 iPads before winter break, the one-to-one pilot program will now likely begin in January. Logistics including installing additional access points and requesting agreements with parents still need to be put in place. Students at the four schools chosen to participate — Washington, Adams, and Franklin elementary schools and La Cuesta High School — will have three options: lease a tablet for $20/month for 3 years, provide their own tablet, or use one purchased by the district. Recent surveys found that Washington was the only school in which a majority of parents indicated they wanted their student to use a district-purchased tablet. A few of the boardmembers expressed concern over the discrepancy because Washington has a higher-income population.