Let's keep something in mind. They're giving them to students who don't have computers at home?
When they say give, are they letting these students take these home? If so, this is a terrible idea.
Students who cannot afford computers at home are probably the poorest and least likely to treat this property with care.
So according to you, so-called 'poor' people don't know how to treat property with care? I've got news for you, the financial situation of a child's parents has absolutely nothing to do with the care and respect they give their children and what kind of responsibilities they pass on to their kids.
I happen to know kids who come from both the 'poorer' financial situations and kids whose families are well-off. From my experience kids who have nothing are much more respectful of 'things' simply because they don't have much. Kids who are given a lot of 'things' simply expect their parents to replace anything they misuse.
Please try to understand, you cannot and should not paint every person with such wide brushes. That's the biggest problem in our country right now. People simply have stereotyped those not like themselves. Labeling them as 'others' all the while not even knowing any of them personally. People have siloed themselves with others who they see as 'like themselves' and refuse to see that the stereotypes they think exist simply do not. People are far too different and each one should be judged on their own. MLK said it best, we all should judge others by the "content of their character and not the color of their skin". Seems we need to add their family's financial situation to that statement too.
As for the expense, well apparently the voters of LA voted for this plan. It's 'the will of the people' and frankly it might work out well. I'm sure some kids will not treat the iPads with respect but I'm just as sure that those kids will come from every type of family situation imaginable. But writing them off immediately, before even giving them a chance, certainly doesn't give them any help so that they may actually improve their lives and move up in the world. If we as a society, don't provide that support then we are simply creating and sustaining a social order of perpetual second-class citizens.