Legislative committee: Public schools struggle to sustain tech replacements.

TLDR:

• North Carolina public schools are facing a funding shortage for technology replacement purchases, particularly student laptops.
• Districts used COVID-19 relief funds to purchase laptops for all students, but this funding is set to run out in September.
• About 75% of districts said they do not have the resources to replace aging, broken, or missing laptops.
• The cost of laptop replacements is estimated to be around $200-250 million annually, or $1 billion every four to five years.
• The state’s schools have spent $404 million on computer equipment and $183 million on software and supplies since 2020.
• Randolph County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey expressed concerns about inadequate state funding for technology expenses.
• The Legislative Fiscal Research Division presented data on public school technology use, including $108 million in federal funds allocated for technology purposes.