Rancho Santa Fe School board approves purchase of iPads, desktop computers

By Karen Billing

The Rancho Santa Fe School District is going to be flush with new technology in the fall as the board approved the purchase of 52 iPads and 240 desktop computers at its May 3 meeting.

The 52 iPads will be for teachers, at a cost of $28,818. District superintendent Lindy Delaney wanted to get the new technology into their hands over the summer.

On June 7, the board is expected to vote on the iPad deployment for students and they are leaning toward the model of 1:1 implementation at the middle school level, six iPads per classroom at the K-6 level, and 10 iPads for special education.

The total cost of the student iPads will be about $275,682 per estimates given at the board’s technology retreat last month.

Delaney said the technology retreat was very helpful and she believes the district is being thoughtful in its decision to implement the mobile learning devices.

“I think we’re moving in the right direction,” said Delaney.

The district also approved the purchase of 170 iMac desktop computers that will be used as classroom computers for grades K-5 and 70 iMac desktops for K-8 staff, a total cost of $162,825.

Technology director Ben Holbert has made the current computers last as long as possible and the equipment is all nine years old.

“I’m excited for next year,” Holbert said.