Our tax dollars at work

From the Detroit Free Press:

Detroit Public Schools: 40,000 kids to get laptops from stimulus funds
Detroit Public Schools will spend $49 million in federal money to push technology in the district, including distributing 40,000 new laptop computers to students in grades 6-12 for use in class, as well as more than 5,000 new desktop computers.

Each DPS teacher also will get a laptop.

The computers are being funded by stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Details are to be announced this morning by DPS emergency financial manager Robert Bobb.

The district already has started distributing the computers and expects to deliver them all by the end of this school year, said Kisha Verdusco, a DPS spokeswoman.

The massive technology infusion totals 50,000 pieces of equipment -- including 4,300 printer/scanners and more than 500 HP desktop computers for the 138 early childhood classrooms in the district.

This is something that is within the charter of the State of Michigan. It is not within the charter of the Federal Government. And, just out of curiosity, 50,000 pieces of equipment divided into $49,000,000 equals $980 per unit. A good laptop is about $600. A good printer is less than $300, this seems a little high priced to me. Wonder who the sourcing vendor is and what their relationship is with the school district...