Yes admittedly it is expensive, especially if the goal is just internet access. That changes a bit when you consider they may be used for programming education (which WCE is partially involved with in some places), though it’s still overkill by several hundred dollars.
More generally, I think there is some sort of partnership here that could be beneficial in the long term, especially as these laptops age. Framework may not have the resources available for a buyback/refurbishing program for quite some time, but WCE could contribute in that way, for people who would be open to donating