PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Wednesday evening, the Palm Beach County School Board is expected to discuss a new policy that would hold parents responsible if their child loses or damages their electronic devices on loan from the school district.
When school went virtual, the school district worked to get a chromebook in the hands of every student who needed one. Now leaders want to make sure that investment is taken care of, and returned.
The new policy says if the device has an internal issue or damage covered by warranty, the parent won't have to worry.
However, it states, "If the technology assigned to a student is lost, stolen or damaged through negligence, vandalism, or failure to follow proper care guidelines, and is not covered in full by any warranty, then the parent/caregiver is responsible for the cost of repair or replacement as stated in this Policy and according to the Student Device Depreciation document."
The policy also says students will need to return the device at the end of the school year unless they receive special permission to use it for summer school purposes.
There would be options like community service if a family cannot afford to pay.
Wednesday will be a first reading of the policy so it won't take effect just yet. The board meeting will begin after a series of workshops that start at 2 p.m.