The Pottsville Area school board approved a technology fee for the use of iPads the school district is spending $1.6 million to buy.
The annual fee would cover some repair costs for damage done to the units while a student is using them at home. While the fee is not mandatory, students who don’t pay it may not take their iPad home. The program only applies to grades 5-12 as students in K-4 will not be permitted to take iPads off school grounds.
The fees approved at Wednesday night’s school board meeting are $50 for a single child in grades 5-12; $80 for a family with two or more children in grades 5-12; $25 for a single child eligible for reduced lunch status; $40 for a family plan eligible for reduced lunch; and no fee for those eligible for free lunch.
The technology fee will cover a one-time iPad repair. A second damage incident will cost $99, though a parent teacher conference may be held with the principal to review the incident; a third incident of damage will result in repair or retail replacement of the device with a mandatory parent and student conference with the principal.
The fee does not cover outright loss or theft of the iPad case, charger or cable. The policy warns that intentional mistreatment resulting in malicious damage will result in disciplinary action including paying for repairs and the police may be involved. Damage caused deliberately will be regarded as vandalism and could result in expulsion.
If an iPad is lost while with a student off campus, the student must notify the school district immediately and file a police report.
Moreover, if a student opts out of paying the technology fee, not only may he not take the device home, parents agree to be financially responsible for all repair or retail replacement costs if the iPad is damaged or lost by the child in school.
The district won’t allow students to bring in outside iPads as teachers may not be able to deliver things to older models and the school will be able to filter its own iPads, control content and load apps appropriate to the student’s grade level.
The board voted March 4 to spend $1,624,636.9 to buy the Apple iPad Air 2 tablets. The district is arranging for the fee to be paid online.
In another matter, Saint Clair resident Nathan Lipton asked the board to consider adopting a policy allowing children of school employees, who are not district residents, to attend Pottsville for free or at a reduced rate of tuition. Lipton said he has two children who would be eligible to attend Pottsville schools under such a policy, and said similar rules are in place in North Schuylkill, Saint Clair Area, Tamaqua Area, Minersville Area and Schuylkill Have Area districts.
Lipton claimed that currently there are students who attend school in the district who are not eligible. District solicitor Richard A. Thornburg countered that the district has all the paperwork it needs to prove residency requirements for its students and there isn’t much more that can be done.
“We’re not clairvoyant,” he said.
He said the matter has been discussed by some administrators, but has yet to be put before the whole board.
As the district prepares to work on its 2016-17 budget next month, member Scott Thomas warned about “disaster” if the district continues to spend beyond its means, drawing down its reserve funds.