Dodge City school board deadlocks on proposed Chromebook insurance plan

The Dodge City USD 443 Board of Education discussed, but did not approve, a proposed four‑year Chromebook insurance and device management package that district staff said would cover unlimited component replacements and provide a parts locker and logistics services.

The proposal, presented by Victor (district technology staff), would have enrolled roughly 2,300 high‑school devices in an insurance/management program from Vivacity that district staff estimated at about $437,000 over four years. Victor told the board the plan “does have an unlimited claim to the Chromebook” and covers repeated repairs and some lost/stolen units when a police report is filed.

Board members said they were persuaded by the program’s convenience and faster device turnaround but worried about price and long‑term value. One board member summed up financial resistance by saying insurance products include a profit margin and questioned spending “$400,000” when in‑house repairs and parts might be less costly. Another asked whether a portion of the annual cost could be shifted to families (estimated by a trustee at roughly $54.54 per year if fully passed on).

District staff cited repair volumes and labour as part of their recommendation. Victor said the high school recorded about 816 charging‑port repairs from 2022–2024, roughly 210 screen replacements in a similar span, 206 power cords and 45 devices deemed broken beyond repair. He estimated a per‑device insurance cost at about $190 (including a premium case) and said only about 22–23% of billed repair fees were actually collected from families.

After discussion, the board moved the motion to adopt the insurance plan (motion by Ryan; second by Tracy). The motion did not secure a majority: the board discussion record and later remarks show a 3–3 split, and no action was taken to approve the contract. The board noted the item had been brought to the board previously and members asked how to proceed given the tie.

The district previously purchased Chromebooks for the high school (approved at an earlier meeting), and Victor said the insurance would not begin until devices are deployed, which he described as the start of the next school year. Board members and staff discussed implementation details if the board later approves insurance: which repairs would remain fee‑free (the district indicated accidental damage would be covered; intentional damage would still be assessed a fee), a required screen protector and case, the vendor’s 4‑year policy term, and expected lead times for repairs through the vendor’s warehouses.

The board directed that the issue remain available for future action; members asked staff to provide further cost breakdowns, alternatives for family contribution models, and clearer lifetime‑cost comparisons between in‑house repairs and the vendor proposal.