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4527 Device Loan Policy

  • 4000: Instruction
4527 Device Loan Policy
The focus of the device loan program is to provide a device to students in need, so they may fully participate in the District’s Learn at Home Program, which provides students with online, remote instruction. While we understand that online instruction cannot supplant the instruction that takes place in a classroom, there may be circumstances that require the District to use its Learn at Home Program. During those instances, the District may loan computers or other devices which include hotspots and graphing calculators to students for the purpose of participating in a virtual learning environment and for completing class assignments. Equipment and accessories, including but not limited to, laptop cases and chargers, loaned to students are, at all times, the property of the District and is loaned to the student for educational purposes only. It must be used only by students attending the District’s schools for instructional purposes.

This policy applies to all computing devices and equipment loaned by the Brentwood School District, as well as any other device considered by the District’s Administration to apply under this policy. Teachers may set additional requirements for use of devices in their classroom.

Computer and Related Care
Students are responsible at all times for the general care of their District-issued device. Students must take the necessary precautions when they are not using their device by storing it in a secure location. This may be accomplished by storing devices in school issued laptop cases at all times. Devices that are damaged or fail to work properly must be taken to a Communication Aide at the building level. At no time should the device be discarded.

General Precautions
  • The District-loaned device is the property of the District and all students must follow the District’s Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy, Policy No. 4526.
  • The District-loaned device must remain free of any writing, drawing, stickers or labels that are not placed on the device by the Brentwood Technology Department.
  • Labels that have been placed on the device by the District must not be removed.
  • The device must not be left in an unsecured environment, such as an unlocked locker or in any other unsupervised area. 
  • Students in grades 3-12 must utilize the district issued laptop case at all times.
General Use
The use of the District’s technology resources is a privilege, not a right. The privilege of using any District technology resources ends when a student is no longer enrolled in the District. If a person violates any provision in this policy, the District Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy, or any other applicable Board Policy, law or regulation, the following may occur: privileges may be terminated, access to the District’s technology resources may be denied, and the appropriate disciplinary action may be imposed consistent with the Brentwood School District’s Student Code of Conduct. Violations may result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension/expulsion. When applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved.
 
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities
  • Discuss with your children how to appropriately use the device.
  • Parents or guardians are expected to review this Policy and the District’s Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy.
  • Ensure that the device is maintained in the district issued laptop case when not in use.
  • Technical issues or damage to a device must be reported to the Communication Aide at the building level in a timely manner.  Broken devices are not to be discarded.
  • Devices that are lost or stolen must be reported immediately to the Communication Aide at the building level. Parents/guardians must attempt to locate the device within 24 hours of the reported incident. If the device remains missing, a police report must be filed. The report must be sent to Central Office for processing before a replacement device can be issued.
  • Ensure the return of any loaned devices upon withdrawing their child from the District.
  • Pay the District for any physical damage or loss of loaned devices.
District Responsibilities
  • The District will loan computers or other necessary technological equipment to students.
  • Provide the student’s parent/guardian with this Policy and the District’s Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy when a device is loaned to the student.
  • Allow students to access commercial apps required for instruction.
  • Filter inappropriate websites and materials as required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act. (While the district will provide internet filtering software for each device, the District is not responsible for incidents where the filtering software fails for any reason.)
  • Provide technical support to aid students with device troubleshooting and replacement.
  • Set and collect fees related to physical damage or loss of loaned devices.
Student’s Responsibilities
  • Use their District device in a responsible and appropriate manner.
  • Follow District rules concerning behavior and communication that applies to device use.
  • Secure his or her device when not in use to protect against loss or theft.
  • If a student receives email or other communications containing inappropriate or abusive language, or if the subject matter is questionable, the student must report the incident to their building principal.
  • Report any damage, loss, or theft of their device to the Communication Aide at the building level as soon as it is discovered.
  • Students who graduate early, withdraw, are expelled or are no longer enrolled in the District must return their device on or before their last day of school.
Damage and Loss Fees
Parents are responsible for reimbursing the District for Damage and Loss of loaned devices and accessories. The District will document the type of damage or loss and will assess a fee for instances of physical damage or lost items. The District reserves the right to decide fee structures, based on factors such as the average cost of repair and the intentionality behind the damage.  No fee is allowed to exceed the purchase price of the device.  Fee structures and repair costs will be reviewed annually through the Board of Education IT subcommittee. 
 
Physical damage that results in fees may include but not be limited to:
  • Damaged screens
  • Cracked and broken bezels and hinges
  • Intentional damage to keys on the keyboard
  • Liquid damage
  • Damage to the charging port that prevents charging
Student Activities Strictly Prohibited
  • Illegal transmission of copyrighted materials.
  • Any action that violates the Code of Conduct, Board policy, or applicable laws and regulations.
  • Sending, accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing offensive, profane, threatening/intimidating, pornographic, obscene or sexually explicit content.
  • Use of plagiarism sites or services offering term papers, book reports, exam answers, or any other form of student work.
  • Use of messaging services, social media, games, or any other Internet service in class without the express permission of the classroom teacher.
  • Use of social media or messaging services to bully, harass, or intimidate others.
  • Use of peripherals for external data access without prior approval from the Technology Department.
  • Installation of profiles (separate user accounts that exist either on the device locally or through a cloud service that were not issued to the student by the Brentwood UFSD) on their device that are not from the District.
  • Changing device settings set up by the District.
  • Jailbreaking/hacking their device.
  • Use of apps or other content in class that is in violation of the District’s Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy or creates a disruption to the instructional environment.
  • Using the device to record another party without the party’s consent.
  • Gaining unauthorized access to any other user’s accounts, email or other data.
  • Exchanging devices with other students.
  • Removing device identification labels.
  • Use of anonymizing and/or masquerading communication proxy services.
  • Students are not permitted to release personally identifiable information about themselves, other students or Brentwood UFSD staff members for any reason over the District’s network. Release is defined as publishing or retransmission of Personally Identifiable Information on any platform, including those that are not the property of the Brentwood UFSD.
  • Participation in fraud, forgery, identity theft or other forms of illegal behavior.
  • Any attempts to vandalize or destroy District hardware, software or data.
  • Bypassing the Brentwood Internet filter through the use of a VPN or web proxy.
Device Care
  • Students must keep their devices in good working condition and bring their device to class when required by teachers.
  • Students must keep their devices in their district-issued laptop cases at all times.
  • Devices should be kept clean. Do not use cleaners with ammonia or bleach as they may damage the surface of the device. If cleaning is necessary, use a microfiber cloth dampened with water and rub gently.
  • Only labels or stickers approved by the Brentwood Technology Department may be placed on the device.
  • All device accessories furnished by the District must be kept in good condition.
  • Devices that experience a hardware malfunction or are damaged by misuse or mishandling must be reported immediately to the Technology Department.
  • Students may be responsible for the full cost of replacing a device that is damaged intentionally or by reckless behavior, and any protection plan provisions (if applicable) will be rendered void.
Cross Reference: 
N.Y. Education Law §2-d
8 NYCRR Part 121
Board Policy 1120, School District Records
Board Policy 1120-R, School District Records Regulation
Board Policy 4526, Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy
Board Policy 5300, Code of Conduct
Board Policy 8635-E, Information Security Breach and Notification

Adoption Date:                                                         08/20/20
Revision approved by the Board of Education:    01/18/24    
Revision approved by the Board of Education:    05/20/26