The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has informed Apple that it will not accept continued deliveries of iPads to students, and will be seeking a multi-million-dollar refund from the company.

The Instructional Technology Initiative (ITI) – a programme estimated to have cost up to $1.3bn and which would have seen the LAUSD purchase iPads for every student in the district – is set to be committed to the flames following an escalating series of cock-ups after kids hacked their tablets, and the district wants to recover its expenses from Apple, according to local radio station KPCC.

In 2013, LAUSD administrators backtracked on their policy of allowing students to take their school-issued iPads home after kids in the pilot scheme inevitably subverted the "device management" software to free up their internet and app access.

Rather than consider the educational value that could be produced by engaging with young, motivated people who had hacked their way to freedom Facebook, the officials seem to consider human nature an impediment to their scheme and chalked the incident up in the Negatives column. When LAUSD bureaucrats subsequently demanded kids return the tablets, only two thirds were actually handed back.

A year later the already-troubled scheme was suspended following an investigation by KPCC, which raised questions about the LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy's connections with both Apple, who were delivering the iPads, and Pearson, who were loading them with educationware. John Deasy, who denies any wrongdoing, has since resigned from his position. The LA Times has reported that the FBI are now conducting a criminal investigation into the affair.

David Holmquist, LAUSD attorney, wrote to Apple's general counsel to complain that: "While Apple and Pearson promised a state-of-the-art technological solution for ITI implementation, they have yet to deliver it. As [LAUSD] approach the end of the school year, the vast majority of students are still unable to access the Pearson curriculum on iPads."

In a statement sent to The Register, a Pearson spokesperson said: "​This was a large-scale implementation of new technologies and there have been challenges with the initial adoption, but we stand by the quality of our performance.​"​

so they're pissed because kids hacked into the ipad and that is Apple's fault?

My son's School district gives every child past 9th grade an ipad
Not much in the way of LA'S problems that I've heard of either

Doesn't California know they're broke? And this is why.

My son's School district gives every child past 9th grade an ipad
Not much in the way of LA'S problems that I've heard of either

No, we actually aren't. We've even instituted a rainy day fund with our surplus, and are addressing future unfunded liabilities. Don't you keep up?

When you book expected revenue on an accrual basis and expenditures on a cash basis, anything will look better.

California Began Accruing Revenues in 1966. By 1966, the state already used accrual accounting for its expenditures. The 1966–67 Governor’s Budget proposed ending cash basis accounting and instituting accrual accounting for the state’s revenues.

(emphasis added)

My granddaughter who's in first grade got her ipad in school this year. She isn't allowed to bring it home until next year. The granddaughter in sixth grade has had a school ipad for a few years now. She brings her ipad home every night to do her homework. It gets turned back in to the school for summer vacation, will be reissued to her at the start of the fall semester.

...Truth and adherence to good policy is fleeting in the wake of crisis for any public entity, all the more if dominated by liberals.

I'm very surprised. While I can envision a lot of use for them in a school environment, I cannot in any way see that it's a good idea to give them to kids full time during the school year. I have one and I'm a computer guy, but too much use isn't helping the kids imho.