According to ergonomics at About.com, nobody should have a backpack more than 25 pounds, and for the average teenager it can be no heavier than 18-20 pounds. When Rick Bates, director of information technology, was told that some kids had backpacks as heavy as 30 pounds, he was not surprised.

“I’m surprised there aren’t kids carrying 50 [pounds] around,” Bates said.

Weight added to backpacks through textbooks could be eliminated if the Rapid City school district were to switch to tablets. Tablets are easier to keep current and updated with just the click of a button.

“You can also never really lose an e-book; you can just say that the lost tablet can’t have it checked out anymore, and it’s back,” Bates said.

According to Bates, textbooks  are $250 to buy per book, when really they’re only $12 to make. Tablets are also more interactive, where textbooks on a tablet usually come with  interactive learning games for each chapter.

“It may be a challenge getting the teachers who aren’t technologically inclined on board,” Bates said.

There are some other challenges as well. It would be difficult to get money every year for subscriptions. The Rapid City public library has tablets, and spends lots of money each year to provide for the tablets.

In addition,  there was a survey that said 75% percent of people nationwide  prefer the actual, physical book compared to reading on a tablet, Bates said.

The school district has already started adding tablets to some middle schools. So perhaps by the time of 2014/2015 schools district wide will have tablets available.