State Equipment - Nonconsumable

   Most people understand that state-owned equipment, ie computers, laptops, and even school textbooks must be returned to the state after using. Most government agencies inventory such equipment and non-consumable supplies each year to avoid "gifting" the equipment to individuals and private corporations.
   As noted recently in another post, EPIC Virtual Charter Schools inventoried it's state-owned equipment, computers, and other non-consumable items - and tagged more than 8,000 laptop computers as "unrecoverable". As a state sub-agency to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, all public schools are required by law to account for all non-consumable publicly owned equipment such as furniture, computers, textbooks, etc... Any state agency must make a reasonable effort to re-acquire such non-consumable issued equipment, when an employee or client (student) exits the agency (public school).
   In knowing the above information, one must wonder if all state and federal laws are being adhered to, in consideration of the "unrecoverable" laptop computers. Especially troublesome is the following conversation between two unrelated EPIC parents, which was recorded on a social media site...
Parent: ... "I wouldn't worry about using your 'LF' for consumables if that's what you want and will use them. I know they have to say you are supposed to return them but of all the people I know that didn't return to Epic literally no one was asked to turn in any consumable and I even specifically asked our teacher and she said, please don't give me your trash 😂".
   LF is "Learning Fund" in Epic speak. The parent may not know the difference in "consumable" and non-consumable if he or she believes that Epic officials ...have to say you are supposed to return them. Public school consumables are things that are quickly used up by students - like food, notebook paper, pencils, ink cartridges, etc..., so why would Epic officials say ... you are supposed to return them...? Public school non-consumables are things like furniture, computers, laptops, textbooks, etc. that must be turned in when the student didn't return to Epic. It makes no sense that students are asked to turn in consumables, but are allowed to keep non-consumables such as laptop computers. The "laughing imoji" which concludes the conversation may indicate that the parent knows the difference between "consumable" and "non-consumable" and really means just the opposite. This conversation may be the "smoking gun" as to whether more than 8,000 laptops (public property), worth around $8 million, were stolen... or "illegally gifted" by Epic officials as trash...