Student-issued iPads unaccounted for in Kanawha County

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- More than 1,200 student-issued iPads at Kanawha County Schools have not been turned in.

Since the start of the program in 2014, the district averages a loss of 2.8 percent throughout the calendar year. That's over 400 iPads unaccounted for each year.

"We expect and the average of other districts expect a 2 percent loss," Kanawha County Schools technology director Leah Sparks said Friday.

The district is collecting the iPads in exchange for newer technology. According to Sparks, the schools agreed to sell the old technology to a third party for about $2.7 million in return.

"They're not getting new devices unless they've corrected the situation and returned their old one," Sparks said about the students who haven't turned in their tablets.

The lost devices have been locked down by the school district. This means the device cannot be used and the home screen says the tablet has been located and the tablet needs to be turned in as soon as possible.

"Once it's locked down it records the geo location of the device and then we can go find it," Sparks said.

The technology director expects more of the iPads to trickle in. They will deal with students on a case-by-case basis. If the iPad was lost or stolen in a situation out of the child's control, they won't be restricted from getting a new one.