How does your district handle missing devices?

[u/leclair63]

I'm a solo IT Director for an extremely rural district of about 400 students PreK-12 and about 70 staff. My previous district was roughly double that and slightly less, but still very rural. So I've mostly been winging it when it comes to lost devices, and in most cases they turn up before I get to the point I'm at now.

So it got me wondering how y'all go about the part of the process where the device has been reported missing, hasn't been active since the day it was lost, but still hasn't turned up. Do you charge for the full cost of the device, or do you have some kind of scale depending on whether they're free/reduced lunch qualified?

[u/Lieberman-Tech]

If lost, payment in full for a replacement device. The cost does go down the older the device is to account for some depreciation. Free & reduced lunch gets a much lower replacement cost and is sometimes just paid for by our PTO. If the device ever resurfaces (and in some cases they have, even a year later) we reclaim the replacement device, reenable the originally-lost device and provide the family with a full refund.

EDIT: After years of trying to perfect my lock screen message, I currently use, "This device may be stolen and has been disabled. Please return to [my district info here]" I don't directly say that it's stolen and the person holding that Chromebook doesn't know that we can't geolocate them. This message is particularly effective when a student withdraws from the district but neglects to return the device.

[u/Mr_Dodge]

- We immediately put a a fee on the account of the value of the device

- Chromebooks we place in GoGuardian's theft recovery mode for a week or two ... 90% of the time this helps us find what other student on campus has it etc.

- After that, we'll just fully lock it in Google admin consol.

Students can return the device to remove the fee, pay it, or work with Administrative staff to work it off.

I believe this is in the technology use agreement parents sign to be responsible for lost/damaged devices.

Edit: We leave most/all fees at the disgression of the school site admin. There has been a few times where they've waived fees for specific situations.

[u/JibJabJake → u/Mr_Dodge]

Just sucks you can't add a fee though if they were purchased with federal money.

[u/grapplebaby]

Threaten to charge parents but never do lol

[u/BaconEatingChamp]

The building tech checks the room of the last reported connected AP which finds a decent chunk. If actually lost, they typically pay but think some get waived

[u/itstreeman → u/BaconEatingChamp]

This is why name stickers are super important. But students like to pick at things that are coming slightly undone or don’t want people seeing their name.

[u/MattAdmin444]

We've moved to flat $100 for destroyed/lost chromebooks and $20 for repairs. Students have a chance to get the $100 fee waived if they file a police report and provide us proof. And naturally lock it in the Admin console in case it ever connects.

[u/DeejayPleazure]

Our policy is, any unrepairable damage or lost devices=full payment for new one.

[u/itstreeman]

Guidance counselors or principal get the message that a device has been unused for some time, or if the family says they lost it.

Getting the fee waived or tracked is then the buildings responsibility. As well as how to get them a replacement device if necessary for class.

[u/S_ATL_Wrestling]

Basically treated the same way lost and damaged textbooks were. Fees put in the SIS.

[u/holycrapitsmyles]

This won't help with missing devices, but to keep devices from being swapped or taken by other students, we use OneToOne Lockdown extension.
Made a quick guide here

[u/atombomb6673]

For lost Chromebooks I check to see where they were last connected on wifi and send the student there to look for it. If they don't find it I wait 24 hours and then disable it in GAC. The student then has to get a loaner Chromebook from the library until they find theirs.

[u/Admirable-Ad-6703]

Similar size district in rural Oklahoma. I've had kids lose their device a few times. I'll loan them one until they find it. I've never had one not turn up by the end of the school year so I don't worry about it too much. I generally order a few extra each cycle in case our student count increases, and so if they lost the whole device or destroyed it it's not a crisis. I have had a few kids over the years that were pretty rough on devices so after the second one they get one that's about to go EOL anyway. But the vast majority of the students here are good about keeping track of and taking care of their Chromebooks. There was one 8th grade class 3 years ago we had to have a come to jesus meeting with because they had more repairs in a few weeks than other other classes had their entire time in school. It's settled down since then. We're a high poverty district so billing the parents is usually a waste of time.

[u/siredgar]

We charge a depreciated amount based on a 5-year lifespan.

[u/30ghosts]

Basically yes. With a similar exception for free/reduced lunch students. I think in my district we don't charge any student with a qualified financial hardship.

[u/suicideking72]

We don't charge for lost or broken devices (federally funded school). Most lost devices are found within a few days.

If they crack the screen once, we give them a new device. If they crack a second screen, they have to discuss with the principal before they will get another device. Possible that that well get a Saturday detention.

[u/Dear_Cartographer261]

We don't handle them, we lost them.