A computer crisis is looming for Philadelphia-area schools that received COVID-19 relief funding to equip students with laptops. The schools, which were already struggling to keep up with the costs of maintaining and upgrading their technology, are now facing a perfect storm of rising prices due to a global shortage of computer memory, dubbed "RAMageddon." As a result, the cost of laptops is skyrocketing, threatening the very existence of school-issued laptop programs that were designed to bridge the digital divide and provide students with the tools they need to succeed. With the cost of laptops expected to double or even triple, schools may be forced to make tough decisions about how to allocate their limited resources, potentially sending students back to a bygone era of paper and pencil.
COVID funding provided underfunded Philly-area schools with laptops. ‘RAMageddon’ might send them back in time as the worldwide computer memory shortage drives up the cost of laptops. The post Rising computer costs threaten school-issued laptop programs appeared first on District Administration.
