DeKalb County school officials are using a private service to track down stolen computers, and have recovered as much as $100,000 in hardware in nine months, system spokesman Walter Woods said.

Gary L. Brantley, the new technology chief hired by Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, recommended using the Computrace service from Austin-based Absolute Software after hearing numerous theft complaints. The company uses software to track computers that are removed from schools.

"We haven't had any big thefts of computers since October when we implemented this," Woods said. About two dozen computers have been recovered.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

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