cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50769795
At least one Kansas district is projecting $150,000 to $180,000 just to equip secondary students with individual phone lockers, according to the Wichita Eagle. The state provided zero dedicated funding. Every dollar comes from local budgets.
Districts choosing fabric locking pouches — think Yondr, the magnetic-lock system concert venues use to keep audiences present — face an estimated $30 per unit. Statewide, the Kansas Division of the Budget put that figure at roughly $13.4 million if every student received one, according to the Lawrence KS Times. Lockers require a steeper upfront investment. Neither option came with a state check attached.
Legislators passed the policy. The price tag was someone else’s problem.
The problem isn’t the phone policy. Digital technology reduces classroom learning. The problem is that the bureaucrats that run our schools cannot fathom a lower cost solution and are poor stewards of public money. That’s why they spend $18k per child per year in a low cost of living state and still pay teachers beggars salaries.