No Mandating Marlboro Middle School and Memorial Students to Bring School Property Chromebooks Ho...

There are over 2,000 children in both middle schools in Marlboro. Chromebooks were given on a 1-to-1 basis this past year 2014/2015. They were maintained by the schools as school property and left in the classrooms. They were charged and ready to go. Every child has their own plans in place to access Google and Google Classroom at their own homes to finish homework. Chromebooks do not store any information that anyone cannot access on their own device, even at a library. Mandating that the children bring these Chromebooks home now is an accident waiting to happen. Marlboro Middle has 3 floors and stairs. There are small lockers. Backpacks are already filled to the brim, plus the added weight of a Chromebook even if it could fit would be burdensome. If kept in the protective cases which we are told each child will be given, they will still have to be taken on the crowded seats of the bus. Children also bring drinks to school. If they open and spill, the Chromebook will be ruined. Wear and tear on the devices is inevitable. There are after-school sports and clubs and activities. There is a safety factor. Yes, children bring their smart phones everywhere they go, but they are much smaller and can fit in pockets, leaving hands free to hold their binders. Now, they will have to manage their multiple binders and carry the Chromebook to every class. In MMS, books are not allowed in the lunchroom. We must assume the Chromebook will not either, so it must be able to fit in the locker. There is a fee being attached to the children being mandated to bring these Chromebooks home. What maintenance plan is in place for breakage and water damage? When a device is purchased new, you need to have extended warranties purchased within 30 days. Are the protective cases already purchased or budgeted for in the coming year? Middle school children are still children. There is no need to burden them or their parents with this unnecessary responsibility. This current year has been a test year. Even though you took a survey last fall and said that 60% wanted them home and 40% did not, this is not an accurate picture of all students. This is just 60% and 40% of who answered your survey. However, 100% of the students were your test subjects, and there were no issues. There is just no need for this. Keep the status quo of the Chromebooks remaining in school as school property.