What you should know
- More than 70,000 laptops and iPads were reported lost or stolen from the Chicago Public Schools system during the 2021-22 school year, according to a report from the Chicago Public Schools Inspector General. The lost or stolen devices are worth an estimated $23 million.
- The report also highlighted that there are three dozen schools where every single device is unaccounted for, and the district did little to try to track them down, despite spending about $2.6 million on software to track and recover computers.
- The Inspector General’s office blamed the school administration for not taking measures after the first few devices disappeared. They described the situation as wasteful and a disservice to the students.
- The district has reportedly recovered 12,000 laptops so far and estimates the current depreciated value of the devices as $2.5 million. Many of the devices are now well over five years old, and many others were “thrown out” and marked lost.
Full Story
The lyrics of Amazing Grace say, ‘I once was lost, but now am found.’ But this isn’t quite the case in Chicago.
Typically, when we mix words like ‘lost,’ ‘stolen,’ and ‘Apple‘ in a sentence, it’s a happy ending story. It’s about how Apple’s AirTag helps people recover their belongings. This time, though, the narrative is different. We’re using ‘lost,’ ‘stolen,’ and ‘Apple’ again, but a happy ending seems unlikely.
A report from the Chicago Public Schools Inspector General reveals a shocking fact. Over 70,000 laptops and iPads were lost or stolen during the 2021-22 school year, according to WGN-TV. This alarming statistic has prompted Chicago City Council members to question the process that led to such a massive loss of technology worth millions of dollars.
So, what do the numbers tell us? The Inspector General’s report provides precise figures. During the 2021-22 school year, 77,505 devices were reported lost or stolen in the Chicago Public Schools system. That’s $23 million worth of laptops, hotspots, and iPads. To give you an idea, between 2020 and 2023, Chicago Public Schools spent $308 million on 311,000 laptops.
The Inspector General’s report also highlights a peculiar case. There are three dozen schools where every single device is missing. CPS Inspector General Will Fletcher commented, “It’s just wasteful, and that’s what our office is here to address.” He went on to discuss an incident involving a brother and sister who lost 9-10 devices between them. There’s no record of the district reaching out to the family to figure out what happened.
The report also criticizes the district for not making enough effort to track down the lost devices. CPS spent about $2.6 million on software to track and recover computers but didn’t use it. The Inspector General’s office blames the school administration, stating they should have taken action after the first ‘two or three’ devices disappeared. “This is a disservice to our young people because now we have to figure out how to raise that money. This was wasteful.”
So far, the district reports it has recovered 12,000 laptops. CPS also estimates the current depreciated value of the devices as $2.5 million. Most of them are now well over five years old, and many others were “thrown out” and marked lost.
