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Lake Oswego district reports rising device repair costs, questions raised about long-term model
Summary
District technology staff told the board the device protection program collected about $141,350 this year but repairs and replacement cost the district roughly $221,000; unpaid billing for lost or damaged devices remains substantial, prompting discussion of fee levels, repair vendor costs and behavioral drivers for device damage.
Technology and finance staff told the Lake Oswego School Board that the district’s one-to-one device program is incurring rising repair and replacement costs and that the district is evaluating options.
Director of Technology Sophie Shindlerly (presenting) reported the device-protection program collected $141,350 in payments this year (3,549 paid agreements), with $6,185 in processing fees deducted, leaving a net of $135,164.75. However, the district spent roughly $200,191 for device repairs through a contracted vendor and an additional $20,800 to replace 52 devices lost during the school year, bringing the total device-related cost this year to about $220,991.
Shindlerly said outstanding billings for broken or lost devices totaled $35,098.75 and the district had recouped only $5,791, leaving $29,307.75 unpaid. Board members noted that unpaid balances are a recurring problem and asked how many outstanding accounts are seniors who might be withheld from graduation — staff said they would provide that breakdown.
Directors questioned how much of the $200,000 repair cost is labor versus parts and whether hiring in-district repair staff would be more cost-effective than the contracted vendor, iQurity. The presenter said staff would provide a parts-versus-labor breakdown to help evaluate options.
Board members also discussed student behavior as a driver of damage. Technology staff and board members said many repairs and losses cluster in middle school and include reckless acts such as students inserting graphite (mechanical pencil lead) into charging ports after viewing trends on social media. The district has published warnings to families and urged teachers and school leaders to reinforce device care practices.
Directors discussed other mitigations that are being explored including: changing device models, restricting devices from being taken home for middle-school grades, student repair programs (a student-run refurbishment class), and adjusting the device-protection fee. Staff noted a recommended device-protection fee increase is under consideration for 2024–25 and that additional analysis will be returned to the board.
The board asked for a follow-up report with: a parts-versus-labor cost breakdown, counts of unpaid charges by grade and seniority, and a proposal for structural changes (contracted repairs vs. in-house technician, device-spec changes, and potential disciplinary or educational responses).
