Chromebook insurance

Based on the work of middle school students and a diverse committee of School District 21 parents, School District 21 is requiring that all 3rd – 8th Graders participate in the District’s Chromebook Student Device Self-Insurance program for middle school families for the 2019-2020 school year.

The annual cost is $25 per student per year and is billed as part of student registration fees. The Student Device Self-Insurance Program is a school fee. The fee waiver program applies equally to the Student Device Self-Insurance Program as to any other required school fee per Board policy.

Even over three years of middle school, at $25 per year, the total cost of $75 for three years is significantly less than the current cost of a graphing calculator for eighth grade, which will no longer be needed due to the inclusion of a graphing calculator app on the Chromebook.

The School District 21 Self-Insurance Program covers accidental breakage with the exception of those incidents when School District 21 staff members have determined that the student willfully broke the device with malicious intent or in which there was gross negligence. Examples of the nature of accidents that are covered include: accidentally spilling water on the keyboard while working at home on the device, accidentally breaking the device’s screen while transporting it to or from school. There will be a deductible charge for each incident in which the Self-Insurance Program is applied to fixing a student device. For the 2019-2020 school year, the deductible amount will be $20 per incident.

If the device is lost, the student and his or her family are responsible for the full cost of the replacement of the device (2019-2020 maximum replacement charge: $335.00). Students and families who choose not to participate in the School District 21 Self-Insurance Program are responsible for the full cost of any repair outside of those that are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. The full cost of the repair may be as high as the cost of the replacement of the device (2019-2020 maximum replacement charge: $335.00).