The cost of building, maintaining and equipping US schools for IT in the next few years is estimated at $322 billion. So says the largest US teachers' union, the National Education Association (NEA). Previous estimates from the General Accounting Office (GAO) had projected five years ago that $112 billion would be required, a figure roughly a third of the NEA estimate.

The NEA says it considers its study more comprehensive and realistic: the GAO study focused on school renovation and replacement of dilapidated buildings, but did not consider any costs for "teching-up".