District considers NEIU contract for Chromebook repairs as administrators weigh insurance and turnaround

Scranton School District administrators proposed a contract with the Northeast Intermediate Unit (NEIU) to provide onsite Chromebook repair services, aiming to free central IT staff to be in classrooms.

What was proposed: Dr. Keating and Mr. D'Souma described a low-cost arrangement that would guarantee one technician for 32 hours per month to perform screen replacements and basic repairs. D'Souma said historically "about 85 to 90% of repairs are typically screen repairs." Administrators noted recent ESSER-funded purchases include extended warranties on newer devices and said in-house repairs are often more cost-effective than per-device insurance when volume and labor are considered.

Questions and data requests: Directors asked whether the NEIU arrangement could slow turnaround if other districts also use the same service; administration said guaranteed hours were built into the contract. Directors also requested periodic reports on volumes (e.g., devices repaired monthly), and asked for up-to-date counts of students without take-home devices (administration said it is collecting building-level data). Board members raised concerns about lost or stolen devices and whether insuring devices would be economically viable; administrators said insurers could underwrite those losses but per-device policy costs could escalate because coverage would multiply by device count.

What’s next: Administration will work with NEIU to provide usage data after implementation, produce monthly snapshots of devices repaired, and continue to collect building-level counts of students who cannot take devices home. The board signaled interest in data about lost/stolen-device insurance options but heard that insuring large inventories may be costly compared with in-house repairs for current device populations.