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Chromebook Care

All students in grades 6-12 are issued a district-owned Chromebook to allow access to materials and completion of exercises, activities, projects, and assignments. Just as with district-owned textbooks, students and their parents are responsible for the care of the Chromebook and assume financial responsibility for it. There are good reasons to take good care of one's Chromebook:

  • Avoiding paying repair/replacement costs. If one accidentally damages a Chromebook and elected not to purchase insurance, loses a Chromebook, or intentionally damages a Chromebook, repair/replacement costs can be significant. Chromebooks assigned to students are currently one of two models. Replacement of the older model costs $289. Replacement of the newer model is $580.00.
  • Avoiding the wait for repairs. Due to supply chain issues, even the largest Chromebook seller and the largest Chromebook insurer in the United States (both of which are used by North Pocono), cannot source many replacement parts in a timely manner even in 2022. The wait for repairs has been and continues to be significant.
  • Avoiding having to use a less capable loaner computer at school. The district does provide loaner machines during the school day for students who have lost, damaged, or destroyed their Chromebooks; however, these are older and far less-capable models with significantly-reduced battery life.
  • Avoiding having to complete alternate assignments. Students who have lost, damaged, or destroyed their Chromebooks, and have no computer available at home, may need to complete assignments different from those of their class until repair or replacement can be accomplished.

Taking good care of the Chromebook will help to ensure a long life. Many of the Chromebooks that got North Pocono through the pandemic have been in service for over a decade (and some still serve as loaners). Below are things you can do to care for your Chromebook.

Insurance

The number one most important thing that you can do to eliminate the cost of non-intentional damage or destruction of the Chromebook is to buy insurance. The North Pocono School District has partnered with Worth Ave. Group to provide group-discounted insurance to parents for their child's assigned Chromebook. There are two policies available: one which covers accidental damage and another that covers accidental damage and theft. The cost of the insurance is less than $50 per year. Three things to note:

Case

The number one most important thing that you can do to prevent damage to the Chromebook is to purchase a case. There are many styles of bags and sleeves and covers designed to protect laptops for all sorts of vendors. We aren't able to recommend a particular manufacturer or model, but we can recommend that anything you do buy has excellent drop and crush protection.

General Care

  1. The Chromebook should be kept free of water, liquids, corrosive chemicals, dirt, ink, eraser, paint, and any other damaging debris.
  2. The Chromebook should not be dropped, thrown, crushed, twisted, pinched, stabbed, bent, kicked, written/erased on, or otherwise physically damaged.
  3. The Chromebook should not be subjected to extreme temperatures.
  4. The Chromebook should be secured at all times; neither theft nor loss absolve financial responsibility.
  5. To clean, you can wipe the outer shell and keyboard with a BARELY DAMP (not wet, not dripping) antibacterial wipe.  The screen should be wiped with a soft cloth that is BARELY DAMP with plain water...no detergents.
  6. All stickers and labels on the Chromebook when received must remain. Removing these labels may subject you to a fee.
  7. All stickers and labels, including associated adhesive, added to the Chromebook by the student must be removed before returning it for repair or replacement.

Transport/Bookbags

Chromebook damage typically occurs during transport from one location to another. There are many hazards that one can encounter while one is walking with a computer and so protection is essential during transport. A bookbag/backpack is NOT protective of a Chromebook.  Bookbags/backpacks are often tossed without thinking and they are often filled with rigid, heavy textbooks. Crush and drop damage often occurs when Chromebooks are placed in bookbags/backpacks. If you insist on placing a Chromebook in a bookbag/backpack, please ensure that it is in a case with good drop and crush protection and that the book bag is not stuffed in such as way as to put pressure on the Chromebook.

Avoid Hazards

Much like any portable electronic, keeping Chromebooks away from known hazards is key to long life. Students have discovered all sorts of these hazards, which we present below as cautionary tales for all.

  • Food and drink: all food and drink, especially liquids or semi-liquids, including all beverages, yogurt, cereal (especially in milk of any type), sno cones, ice cream, salt, cooking oil, etc.
  • Liquids: all liquids, even if in a temporary solid state, including water, saline solution, bodily fluids, ocean water, pond water, pool water, ice and snow, brake cleaner, motor oil, perfume/cologne, makeup, soaps and shampoos, paint, hair dye, nail polish, etc.
  • Pets: all pets are potential hazards, whether via bodily fluids, chewing, relocating, or spilling
  • Beaches: beyond ocean water, sand is an enemy of the Chromebook
  • Automobiles: The hood, the roof, tires, the trunk lid, or the trunk itself hate Chromebooks. Also, windows. Stay clear.
  • Stairs: Stairs serve as a hazard when the Chromebook or the container in which a Chromebook is stored traverses the stairs via the air (such as throwing a bookbag up the stairs or throwing the bookbag down the stairs). Stairs are also a hazard when people carrying the Chromebook attempt to work on the Chromebook while climbing or descending the stairs.
  • Bleachers: An extension to stairs are bleachers, which, when you think about it, are like really big stairs. In addition to the dangers presented by regular stairs, bleachers have some dangers all their own. Bleachers are most often located near athletic events in which objects fly at a high rate of speed. They are also places with lots of foot traffic that is more engaged with the events on the field than with where their feet are going. Bleachers also provide ample opportunity for objects to fall great distances through a maze of steel bars.
  • Bathrooms: No explanation necessary. No bathrooms for Chromebooks ever under any circumstance.
  • Power cords: Ensure that Chromebooks charge with a power cord that does not lie in a pathway for people (including for the user of the Chromebook). The trip hazard created is a danger not only to the Chromebook (which can quickly be sent airborne), but also to people.

While many of these hazards may seem silly, they are pulled directly from our experience. Hopefully this experience helps your Chromebook avoid unnecessary danger.

When Care Fails...

If all of your efforts to care for a Chromebook fail and breakage happens, your child's school guidance office is the point of contact to initiate the processes that respond to the breakage.  The guidance office will connect with the Technology Department to evaluate the state of the Chromebook. If the damage requires repair or replacement and the Chromebook is covered by insurance, the Technology Department will work with the insurance company to get the repair or replacement done. If the damage requires repair or replacement and there is no insurance coverage, the district business office will make arrangements with the parent/guardian for payment.

If a Chromebook charger is damaged, parents can simply replace it on their own. Our deployed Chromebooks all use standard USB-C 45W+ chargers. As of May 2022, the following chargers are examples of those that work:  Acer and Amazon. Please note that these links take you to a site outside of the North Pocono website; the North Pocono School District is not responsible for the content of these sites.