DPS board approves modest annual technology fee for district Chromebooks, with waivers for families in need

The Durham Public Schools Board of Education approved an annual technology fee on Wednesday to offset the rising repair and replacement costs for district‑issued Chromebooks.

Paul Mitchell, executive director of information technology, told trustees the department is facing rising repair bills, a high proportion of devices out of warranty and a growing number of lost or missing devices. “This fee is a small but important piece in the broader sustainability puzzle,” he told the board, recommending a modest annual fee of $15 for elementary students and $30 for middle and high school students.

Mitchell said device‑sustainability numbers drove the proposal: he reported that roughly 78% of district Chromebooks are now out of warranty; the district has about 1,400 devices reported missing or lost (Mitchell described the aggregate replacement exposure as “over half a million dollars” worth of inventory). The district also tracked April–May repairs at approximately $60,000 for those two months alone, the IT director said.

Under the approved plan, schools will collect the fee and the district will establish a waiver process for households with financial hardship. Mitchell said the district will not withhold a Chromebook from any student who cannot pay; waivers and payment plans will be available on a district‑level application that will cover multiple children if a household has more than one DPS student. He told the board: “We are not going to deny a student a device.”

The board and staff discussed operational details that trustees asked to be clarified before broad rollout: who handles fee collection and reconciliation at the school level; documentation/receipts for families when devices are turned in; how waivers will be processed (district‑level form so parents of multiple children don’t have to apply at each school); and how schools will reconcile fee income with device inventory and repair invoices.

Mitchell said the district will work with principals on collection workflows and with finance to ensure payments are routed to accounts used for device repair and replacement. He also said schools will continue to be able to choose whether to keep devices on campus for elementary students (day‑use) or to allow home checkout for middle and high schools.

Board members asked for protections and outreach: trustees emphasized that waiver procedures must be confidential and easy to access and that poorest families (including McKinney‑Vento and foster students) should receive automatic or prioritized waivers. The board also asked that communications and the Chromebook care materials be widely distributed; Mitchell said the district has produced a Chromebook care video and student device handbook and will translate materials as needed.

The motion to adopt the technology fee recommendation was made by Board Member Chavez and seconded by Board Member Beyer; the board approved the recommendation by voice vote. Finance and IT staff will return to the board with procedures and forms, including a district‑level waiver application and a reconciliation plan for school collections.

Why this matters: DPS operates a 1:1 Chromebook program that supports instruction and access to digital curriculum. With federal device purchases now out of warranty and repair and replacement costs rising, the fee shifts a small portion of replacement cost to families while creating a waiver process to protect low‑income students.

What to watch next: The district will publish the waiver application and payment workflow; trustees asked for translations and clear messaging for families and for a receipt/process when devices are checked in or returned to the school inventory.