All EVSC Netbooks to Include Accidental Damage Insurance

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of School Trustees tonight (5-7-12) approved the purchase of accidental damage insurance from Dell Financial Services, for the Dell netbooks that high school students use. Not only will parents no longer have to obtain insurance coverage or pay for repairs themselves, but the district will also save money on repair costs.

When these computers were purchased two years ago, the insurance costs were prohibitive. Last year when the middle school netbooks were purchased, insurance was a more affordable option to add at that time, and the corporation did so. Through the work of several offices in the EVSC, and negotiations with Dell, it was determined that adding insurance at this time to the high school units is a more cost-effective solution for netbook repairs due to accidental damage. This does not apply for netbooks that are deliberately damaged, lost, or stolen.

“Now, when accidental damage occurs, students will still turn the computer in at their school, and it will be repaired by our own EVSC personnel, or by an outside company – but paid for through the insurance,” said Stacy Mauser, EVSC chief technology officer. “No longer will parents have to fill out paperwork, find serial numbers, or pay remaining balances not covered by insurance. We have had high school parents asking for this since we started the program and now it is monetarily feasible.”

Textbook, netbook, and netbook insurance costs are paid for through a combination of funding sources, including the EVSC Book Fund, state reimbursement for students who qualify for free and reduced textbooks, student rental fees, and other granting sources.

Currently, costs for repairs are paid by the student’s family, through any insurance they have purchased, or a combination of the two. The EVSC worked with Student Insurance Partners in the past and annual premiums ranged from $43 to $52, depending on the deductible amount desired (from $100 to $25). Some families also purchased insurance from other providers.

The EVSC began the 1:1 netbook initiative in 2009 at the high school level, when the state defined a computer to be the same as a textbook for reimbursement purposes. In Fall 2011, the initiative rolled out to middle grades students.

The purpose of the laptop initiative is to ignite a passion for learning, inspiring all students to become self-motivated, enthusiastic participants in their education. The EVSC’s goal is for all students in grades 6-12, regardless of income or family background, to have access to a laptop computer for use at both school and home. The EVSC believes that individual ownership will help promote concepts of self-motivation and enthusiastic participation by providing all with access to a powerful technological tool to enhance learning. Since computer use is required in nearly all post-secondary programs and professions, a natural and constant access in high school will better prepare students for this inevitable future.

The Indiana Department of Education last year awarded a Classroom Innovation Grant of $200,000 to the EVSC and this year, the EVSC received a second grant of $100,000. The most recent grant is for the Community of Digital Educators (CODE), which selects 30 teachers to have extensive professional development and access to other resources and conferences, in order to develop online curriculum for use in the classroom. These teachers will then become teacher leaders throughout the corporation training others to develop their own digital content.