One-time donations get all the attention, but schools need an ongoing budget for technology, both for maintenance and to refresh aging equipment as it loses effectiveness as a teaching tool.
Every? Citation needed. I think I've posted one or maybe two similar posts. I'm certain there have been more than two or three articles in MacRumors' history mentioning charities.
Fortunately, several MDM (Mobile Device Management) systems have a system to find "lost" iPads. I don't know if this school has the on-going budget to support MDM, but it's useful. I use this feature somewhat often in my school, but only because kids genuinely lose them. For me, the iPads are usually in the student's locker, backpack, desk or the desk of someone they sit next to. Not sure if that'll be the case for the school in the article.