FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Taxpayers might have to foot the bill for replacing almost 9,000 iPads at East Allen County Schools sooner than expected.

Technology Director Keith Madsen told the school board Tuesday the 8,776 devices, which were bought in 2012 and were supposed to last at least five years, are starting to show damage at a rate twice that of last year, though the number of iPads being lost or stolen has dropped. The Journal Gazette reports he’s asking the board to at least replace the iPads for grades 7 through 12 at a cost of $2.6-million. 

Madsen added that the failure rate for iPads used in grades K thru 6 is also high, noting that usually the first parts to fail are the power and volume buttons.