Schoolhouse Beat

L.A. district to spend $50 million on computer tablets

Students at 47 schools would get devices; eventually the district hopes to provide tablets to all of its 600,000-plus students.

The Los Angeles Unified school board has approved spending $50 million to provide computer tablets to students at nearly four dozen campuses this fall. The Los Angeles Daily News says in addition to buying tablets, the district will install wireless networks and provide teacher training at 47 schools. In the long term, L.A. envisions buying tablets for all of its 600,000-plus students - a $500 million project that officials say is needed for a new nationwide curriculum and statewide testing system rolling out in 2014. District officials were calling the tablet devices "iPads," and Apple representatives were sitting in the audience, but Deputy Superintendent Jaime Aquino says the district is "agnostic" when it comes to which providers might be selected.

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