Lake County students who have a district-issued Chromebook that is broken or no longer in use may return the device through Monday, Sept. 14 with no penalty or fees.
The fee-free return period is part of the district’s effort to take inventory of all devices and ensure that all students have access to the technology they need.
Originally, Lake County Schools had set a five-year goal of providing universal access to a student device in order to provide equity and to support authentic learning experiences and collaboration among students. The district’s Information and Instructional Technology department began building out the infrastructure in every school to accommodate the increase of student technology. The Chromebook was selected for its ease of use, relatively low cost and the inclusion of the Google Apps for Education.
“We are always encouraging students to take proper care of their district-issued Chromebook,” said Duane Weeks, executive director of Information and Instructional Technology. “In an attempt to make sure that we have every device in the fleet available for students, we are offering this one-time amnesty program for repairs.”
The most common way a Chromebook can break is the screen. The vast majority of student Chromebooks in Lake County have a screen that can be replaced for $32.
Due to the massive demand for Chromebooks, Lake County Schools had to purchase multiple devices to get every student access. Some later models can range up to $80 for a touchscreen.
Students were able to keep their Chromebooks over the summer in order to use the devices for extra learning opportunities. All students with a Lake County Chromebook were expected to bring their device back to school on the first day. Early return rates appeared positive, but the exact count will be taken on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Each student, whether learning at home or in a traditional classroom, will check in their device using a short form. Students will be charged for damage to devices recovered starting Tuesday, Sept. 15.
More information about the program can be found at the Start of School website for Lake County Schools at lake.k12.fl.us/startofschool.
