Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:54     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Here is a link to the AG’s letter stating that MCLS may not charge for required materials: https://www.scribd.com/document/18771202/KameenOAGLetter



That's not quite the same as charging for *damage* to required materials.


Normal usage is not damage.


That's a matter of opinion. It's wear and tear.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:52     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
The school chromebooks were selected, partially, for durability and in some cases are reinforced (the hinges.) They sell, brand-new, closer to $300 to $400 these days.

There are indeed cheaper chromebooks but they may be near their end of life, which means they are bricks afterwards. (Though I am able to update them with Google Flex up to a current ChromeOS.)
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:51     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Here is a link to the AG’s letter stating that MCLS may not charge for required materials: https://www.scribd.com/document/18771202/KameenOAGLetter



That's not quite the same as charging for *damage* to required materials.


Normal usage is not damage.


My middle school daughter said that some of the keys on her Chromebook stopped working but she can’t trade it in because they will charge her. She is now bringing one from home and nobody seems to mind.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:47     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:As someone who builds computers for fun, laptops fail for any number of reasons. The batteries are generally a culprit, but it takes two minutes to open the Acer 740 or Lenovo 300e and swap it out. (I have not tackled a Acer 770, but I imagine it's the same.) The biggest expense is actually the display, which can cost $100 to $150, brand-new. (I used to source them from ebay for not much.)

As much as it may make sense to charge students for damage, a lot of it is indeed accidental, and the district invested in these laptops, so it is on them. Only in the case of intentional harm should a student be obligated to pay back the school system. (Unless it's someone with special needs who might not know what they're doing or just acting out and should not have a laptop in their hands.)


You can get a new Chromebook for $150.
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:44     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
As someone who builds computers for fun, laptops fail for any number of reasons. The batteries are generally a culprit, but it takes two minutes to open the Acer 740 or Lenovo 300e and swap it out. (I have not tackled a Acer 770, but I imagine it's the same.) The biggest expense is actually the display, which can cost $100 to $150, brand-new. (I used to source them from ebay for not much.)

As much as it may make sense to charge students for damage, a lot of it is indeed accidental, and the district invested in these laptops, so it is on them. Only in the case of intentional harm should a student be obligated to pay back the school system. (Unless it's someone with special needs who might not know what they're doing or just acting out and should not have a laptop in their hands.)
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 07:23     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the media person in your school. Some are nicer and some are horrible. Speaking from experience. It's like they are power hungry.


+1 The media person at Pyle is horrible
Anonymous
Post 03/01/2024 05:58     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have you considered just not paying.


They are holding his High School Diploma hostage over this


He was given a working Chromebook, right? If he hands one back that is no longer working and made no attempts to have it repaired, he should pay to replace it.
Anonymous
Post 02/29/2024 22:35     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
It’s really up to the school’s discretion, but we tend to focus on those students who deliberately damage their chromebooks more than anything else, and it’s been witnessed by a staff member.
Anonymous
Post 02/29/2024 22:22     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Has this policy recently changed? Can students now be charged for damaged Chromebooks?
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2023 18:28     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
You better pay you cheapie
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2023 19:32     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS IT and schools are no longer supposed to charge obligations for Chromebooks. If it is physically back to the school, he is fine. Just respond with an email that it stopped working and he physically returned it on X date. And of course return the new one they gave you too. It was probably just a problem that it didn’t get checked in properly.

What does this mean? Our school recently sent out a list of charges for missing keys, damage to screen, Chromebook not working, etc. MCPS must still be charging. Otherwise where would our school administration have gotten this list?


They got the list because it used to be the policy. It’s no longer the policy. They’re doing things the old/wrong way.

Thanks PP. What is the new policy? Is it written down somewhere?
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2023 13:19     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Here is a link to the AG’s letter stating that MCLS may not charge for required materials: https://www.scribd.com/document/18771202/KameenOAGLetter



That's not quite the same as charging for *damage* to required materials.


Normal usage is not damage.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2023 13:01     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:Here is a link to the AG’s letter stating that MCLS may not charge for required materials: https://www.scribd.com/document/18771202/KameenOAGLetter



That's not quite the same as charging for *damage* to required materials.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2023 13:00     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
I found the law for "higher education" but not "high school"

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0248?ys=2023rs

Institutions of Higher Education - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 748

Prohibiting an institution of higher education from refusing to provide a current or former student with a transcript or taking other punitive measures regarding a student's transcript request because the student owes a debt to the institution of higher education.
Anonymous
Post 06/09/2023 12:55     Subject: Charged $150 for chrome book replacement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:just pay it. FFS


What a stupid response. Did you not read that they can not do this? I wouldn't tolerate this for 2 seconds and would be in the supers office. My kid with sns has to have a computer to work and the first one they gave him had visible damage and would take 15 minutes 2 start and died regularly. I walked it back to the office and he had a new functioning one the next day.


OP should have done that.


She did. She just got a bill for it.