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Chicago Schools Flunking E-Rate Program
from the do-the-math dept
theodp writes "The national E-Rate program created to give poor children Internet access has become so bogged down in mismanagement and waste in Chicago that the school system is two years behind in wiring classrooms and has forfeited more than $50M earmarked for projects. The mind-boggling $269M that has been spent thus far - which doesn't cover PCs or electrical upgrades - has provided 18,180 rooms with Internet access. Do the math, children! "
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No Subject Given
So, 18,180 rooms and if we figure an average of 45 students per room then that works out to 818,100 students which when divided into $269M works out to an average per student cost of only $328.81.
Anybody want to make any bets as to how many of those 18,180 rooms actually have computers in them to hook to the internet?
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Wrong Line of Work
Wow, I'm in the wrong line of work.
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No Subject Given
Well, it is Chicago. They have to make sure all the kiddies are well informed since most of them are probably on the voter rolls!
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Re: No Subject Given
Or, to add an even more surreal per-room cost: $269M fo 18,180 rooms means 14.796 dollars per room. What did they do, rebuild the rooms from scratch?!
It's good to know our tax dollars are being well spent...
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Failure of This Program Due to Corruption and Mis-
This program failed for a variety of reasons.
Mismanagment at the highest levels of funding for wiring the schools. Ironically, these schools are in the poorest neighborhoods. No one in the city that can afford to, sends their kids to public schools just for this reason.
No-bid contracts given out to friends of the established political monarchy are another reason for this immense failure. Although the city will vehemently state, that no-bid contracts are "appropriate" in some cases.
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