iStampede = Daft School Officials

The CNN.com Panic ensues in rush for cheap laptops

By this evening's news everyone will have heard about the iStampede for the $50 iBook laptops in Virginia.

My only question is this...who are the IDIOT school officials selling the damn laptops for $50. Have any of them taken a high-school level economics course and heard about supply and demand. What is it about this situation that just might indicate this school district could have raised more money (for the school district) through this sale? Possibly the roiling masses outside headed through the gates? hmmm.

If they were going to have a give away of computers (which this essentially was), wouldn't it have been a good idea to perhaps randomly select interested, current students (with a focus on seniors going to college) before opening it up to the public mob? And if they were going to sell to the public...you would think they would have charged something closer to a market rate in order to get a fair return on their initial investment. Perhaps they could have gone all out and had an auction?

Where are the "save the children" arguments?! This was money for the damn school district...and they just threw it away. And where are the tax payers demanding that the school officials be removed from office for not adaquately safeguarding the best interest of the district's tax dollars. Only in government...

Let's check back in a year and see how much this district is asking to increase the tax levy because they need more money.

$50 iBooks cause stampede!

[UPDATE/REVISION]
A reader posted a note (see comments) stating that seniors did receive first pickings on the laptops (last week) before the hoards got their chance. Thanks for the correction! Perhaps there was a tiny bit of sanity in the deal.

(However, that doesn't let the school officials anywhere near off the hook for the poor planning and lost opportunity)