CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Hundreds of Horry County students haven’t paid fees for damaging school-issued tablets and similar devices and district leaders admit there’s no way to make them pay under current policy.
The district’s technology committee reviewed damage data on Monday as it talked about expanding the “Personal Digital Learning” initiative, which provides devices to students, to third and fourth grade classrooms. All students from fifth grade through high school already have tablets.
A spreadsheet given to committee members shows 17 percent of middle school students have broken their device screen. Six percent of high school students have done the same.
Students are charged $25 for the first damage incident, $50 for the second, and the total cost for additional damage. Current policy limits the consequences for a student who doesn’t pay.
Charles Hucks, the district’s executive director of technology, compared the fees to those for a lost textbook. The fee goes on a student’s record, but the consequence for not paying is ceremonial; he said the student can’t walk at graduation.
District five board member Janice Morreale told News13 the technology committee needs to talk about whether to allow students with outstanding fees to have another device next year. She said students with unpaid fees received another working device this school year, but she questioned the incentive for anyone to pay if that continues.
The district, Morreale added, should also consider how to handle families who can’t afford to pay for the damage and whether withholding the devices will hurt students.
The technology committee hasn’t set a date to talk about the tablet issues.
