1:1 FAQ

School has changed, but not our commitment to educate all students by providing high-quality and innovative instruction. Future Ready curriculum is different from traditional textbook-based curriculum by emphasizing collaborative learning experiences, demonstration of learning mastery through a variety of options, and ethical use of digital resources.

In order to provide students access to this learning experience, Monroe recognizes that every student needs a district-managed educational computing device both at school and at home. The most equitable and cost-efficient way to provide this is through a take-home 1:1 Chromebook program.

Access to these devices, partnered with a Future Ready curriculum, will help better prepare our students for the digitally enhanced and information-rich environment they will encounter in higher education and the modern workplace.

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What does “district-managed” mean?

District-managed means that your device is enrolled in the district’s Google Chrome Management console. Enrollment requires a license to be purchased and assigned to a specific device. Once enrolled, the district can push out policies, filter web content, and manage apps and extensions. It also allows for additional web and content filtering through GoGuardian.

Enrollment in the district’s Google Chrome Management console is also an important part of protecting your student’s online/data privacy and assisting students in creating a positive digital footprint.

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Are all 1:1 grade levels able to take their Chromebooks home?

No. Only grades 5-12 will take their devices home each day for academic use.

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Will 5th graders and 9th graders have a Chromebook over the summer?

Since incoming 9th graders will have their Chromebooks from 8th grade, they will have a Chromebook over the summer. Since devices for students in grades K-4 remain in the district, incoming 5th graders will not have a Chromebook over the summer.

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Are cases being issued in addition to the Chromebook?

Yes. In order to reduce the risk of damage, a protective carrying case will be provided with each student Chromebook. Students are expected to keep their Chromebooks in the protective case at all times.

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Can we refuse the District-provided Chromebook?

No. The District-provided Chromebooks are essential to daily learning activities and must be brought to school, fully charged every day.

District-provided Chromebooks:

Will have the highest priority in terms of support and network access
Are the devices teachers expect and plan for when preparing lessons and assignments
Must be used for all online assessments—no exceptions

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Will there be a flat technology fee assessed to all students in grades 5-12?

Yes. There will be a $50 nonrefundable fee charged each year to offset the cost of the device. This fee is reduced to $25 for students on Free & Reduced Lunch and waived for students who qualify for Free Lunch. To find out if you are eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch, please click here to complete the form on OneView.

After four years, the student will own his/her Chromebook. Students who leave the district before completing four years with the same device must return their Chromebook and charger to the district.

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What devices are to be issued to students?

Lenovo 100e Education Edition (with case & charger)

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What if my student has a device at home already?

Students will not be able to use personal devices at school. See the detailed answer below for the rationale for selecting Chromebooks over BYOD.

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Why did the district choose to go with a standardized district-managed Chromebook instead of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model at the middle and high schools?

There are several reasons for using a standardized Chromebook over a BYOD model.

Chromebooks were specifically chosen because they are designed to be more secure than laptops, to resist hacking, and to prevent the introduction of malware. For more information please review the following article: https://www.androidcentral.com/what-makes-chromebook-so-secure.
We manage all district Chromebooks to ensure only district-approved apps and extensions are accessible to students, web content is filtered, and teachers can monitor student use during class.
Chromebooks were chosen for their robust design and functionality in the educational setting. Teachers can remotely manage Chromebooks in a classroom setting in order to lock down the computer screen to the task at hand and to guarantee test security when completing online assessments. Other computing platforms do not afford teachers the ability to remotely control, monitor, and push out content to Chromebooks.
A uniform device platform ensures that a teacher’s efforts are focused on instruction and engaging students in learning, rather than trying to troubleshoot a unique personal device.
The district can ensure equity of access when all students are using a similar computing platform. All students can easily be provisioned with the right software, the correct tools, and have similar user experiences without some students having a poor experience because their machine did not meet the proper specifications or have access to the right software tools.
District Tech Staff cannot guarantee support and security for an unlimited number of different computing platforms on a BYOD network.
Personal devices can not be licensed for use on our domain. Online state testing requires the devices being used to be district owned.

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What fees are charged for repair or replacement of a student Chromebook and accessories?

Students are responsible for taking care of their district-issued Chromebook. In the event the Chromebook, AC adapter (charging cable), or protective carrying case is lost, fees will be assessed at the time a repair claim is created, using the fee schedule below. All fees will be available for payment online via EZPay.

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2021-2022 Chromebook Repair/Replace Fee Schedule
Lost Chromebook	Replacement Cost
Chromebook Replacement (lost)	$290 (Chromebook + carrying case, per incident) ** less the fee(s) already paid for the device
AC Adapter/Charging Cable	$25
Carrying Case	$25

Students will not be charged for normal repairs. However, students will be charged $350 (less fees that have been paid) for Chromebooks broken due to willful neglect or vandalism.

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What if a student Chromebook is stolen?

If a Chromebook is stolen, the family should notify the building administration and the school resource officer. A police report will be required to formally document the theft and receive a replacement Chromebook. The school resource officer can assist with this process.

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Will Chromebooks have internet filtering when used off-campus?

Yes. All 1:1 Chromebooks will be subject to the same filtering rules both off and on campus. Although no web content filtering system is ever 100% effective, the software used by the district provides protection against inappropriate web content that meets federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requirements.

What if I forget my Chromebook?

Each building will communicate its specific procedures for use of a loaner Chromebook. Typically, each student that needs a Chromebook will be able to check one out in the morning and return it in the afternoon. Students will be responsible for that loaner just as they will be held responsible for their assigned Chromebook.

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Will my primary/elementary school student in K-4 get his/her own Chromebook?

No. In the primary and elementary buildings, each K-4 classroom is equipped with a set of Chromebooks, which are stored, secured, and charged in the classroom. All Chromebooks for use by students in Grades K-4 will remain at school. A Chromebook is assigned to each student but will remain at school every day.

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When will the District issue Chromebook guidelines?

The District’s 1:1 planning team is finalizing Chromebook guidelines which will provide detailed information on the 1:1 program. Guidelines and policies are subject to change or revision, and notice will be provided.

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What if students do not have access to the Internet at home?

There are a number of locations in the area that offer free Internet access. One such location is your public library. The district also plans to partner with other establishments throughout the community to create “student-friendly” spaces, where WiFi will be available at no cost. Even without Internet access, Chromebooks have the ability to use the traditional Google tools offline, such as writing in Google Docs and preparing presentations in Google Slides. Chromebooks also have a feature that enables students to download work ahead of time so they can work offline.

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Are you sure the district's computer network can handle this much network traffic?

Our network has more than enough bandwidth to handle all staff and student devices.

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If the computer for my 5th grader still works when they get to 9th grade, why do I have to purchase another one?

While the physical Chromebook may last longer than four years, Google has predetermined a limited length of time that a particular Chromebook model will receive software updates.
Once it outlives a predetermined age, Google will no longer provide regular operating system updates which are required to maintain remote management features required for use in a school environment.
After a Chromebook has “aged out” out of remote management, it may still be adequate for personal use at home even though it would not be usable at school. “Aged out” Chromebooks could still be used for personal Gmail accounts or accessing student accounts from home in a non-school-managed setting.

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Personal Google Accounts: Can the Chromebooks be used with a non-district username?

No. Students and staff cannot access a district-owned Chromebook with any other login other than their district-assigned email. For example, students will not be able login using their personal Gmail account on a district-provided Chromebook.

However, if a student logs into another device (home computer’s Chrome browser, smartphone Google app, etc) with their school GSuite username all of their information (bookmarks, emails, documents, presentations, applications, etc.) will be available on that device when using a Chrome browser. Although they are not on their Chromebook, students are still using district credentials which may be monitored for acceptable use.

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How do you return your Chromebook if you move out of the district or withdraw from Monroe Local Schools?

If your child withdraws from school during the year, they are required to return their Chromebook to the main office of their school. If they withdraw during the summer, please contact the Monroe School District Central Office between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Chromebooks can be returned to the Central Office located at 500 Yankee Road, Monroe.

Failure to turn in a device will cause a fee to be issued. Once a student is withdrawn, the Chromebook will be shut down from the Google console and rendered unusable.