MN Schools Get $55M From Microsoft Settlement

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced today that St. Paul schools will receive more than $55 million in vouchers to purchase new computers and computer software, thanks to a recent Microsoft settlement.

In Minnesota, 467 school district and charter schools will receive vouchers, which range in amounts from a few hundred dollars to $6.3 million.

The amount each school gets is based upon the school’s percentage of the state’s total free and reduced price lunch eligible students.

Microsoft will pay $174.5 million settlement from a class action lawsuit that alleged Minnesotans were overcharged on certain products. Under terms of the settlement, any consumer or business that purchased certain Microsoft products for use in Minnesota was eligible to receive vouchers to purchase new computer hardware or software.

After the deadline for the public passed, half the value of the unclaimed vouchers went to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Vouchers can be redeemed through January 2012.