Technology repairs and fines are not anyone’s favorite topic, not even the Tech department! Unfortunately they do exist and we wanted to reach out and address some common issues, and let families know how the Technology department addresses repairs and fines.
Our student computers are a huge investment for our district and, given that our students live in a technological era, while not required for education, they are certainly beneficial. The Technology department works very hard to maintain each student device and keep them in the best condition possible.
We make repairs on a daily basis and many of those repairs are at the middle school level. At the middle school level many of the repairs needing to be made are broken screens and liquid damage as well as damaged chargers. We recently learned that students are using school issued chargers to charge devices other than their Chromebooks. The chargers are meant specifically for Chromebooks and damage can and will occur to the charger when not used for its intended purpose. Generic replacement charges can also damage school Chromebooks.
Chargers are also being dropped, which damages the internal components and they are being stretched beyond their capacity damaging the wires. We do assess fines for these repairs. We've been noticing quite a bit of wear and tear on the Chromebooks, including damage from drops and carvings, as well as lots of stickers being placed on the devices. While we know stickers can be fun, removing them can be tricky and sometimes causes damage. Because of this, we do have a $10 charge per sticker if we need to remove them.
This year, we’re seeing more damage than ever at the elementary level, especially with keys being removed from keyboards. Unfortunately, when keys are pulled off, it can damage the whole mechanism. We often hear that the keys "just fell off," but that’s not how these keyboards work. Depending on the damage, repair costs can range from $5 to $75.
We appreciate your help in reminding students to take care of Blaine School District Chromebooks!