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The Toronto District School Board says it will charge families for repairs to Chromebooks that are provided to students as part of an initiative to allow for more equitable access to technology.

In an e-mail to parents earlier this month, the TDSB said it has revised its student device program this academic year and required families to confirm their participation. Under the new agreement, a screen replacement will cost families $125. It will cost $42 to replace a keyboard and $29 for a top or bottom cover replacement.

The program, initiated three years ago, offers board-owned Chromebooks to students in Grades 5 and 9 to use over a four-year period both at home and in school. According to the TDSB, the scheme “supports learning through technology, digital citizenship and our commitment to equity of access to technology.”

TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird said the language in the agreement was adjusted because of an increased number of devices and more costs associated with repairs.

If a school identifies a family who can‘t afford the cost of damaged parts, he said the school will be responsible for the expenses. The board’s information technology services department will continue to cover the labour costs, he added.

In previous years, parts that needed repair were covered by the school.

“Normal and reasonable wear and tear is expected, however deliberate damage and/or negligence will not be tolerated,” Mr. Bird said. He added that if a Chromebook is lost, schools can now ask families to pay the full replacement cost.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board has a similar device program, and offers Chromebooks to students in Grades 6 through to 12.

Spokeswoman Shazia Vlahos said the Catholic board does not charge families for damaged Chromebooks.

Karim Bardeesy, executive director of the Dais, a policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the TDSB should be mindful of messages it sends to families – especially at the start of the year – when they concern money.

“That’s not the best way to kick off the school year,” he said.

School boards need to figure out what their relationship is with technology in classrooms, Mr. Bardeesy added. Governments and educators have banned cellphone use in classrooms because it’s a distraction, but they still allow students to use Chromebooks and laptops for educational purposes.

And while the device program has good intentions to enhance equity, the TDSB needs to be cautious about how it moves those plans forward, he said.

“We’ve created an access program through the door, but out the window, we create new barriers. That’s often a thing that happens in equity programs.”

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