Financial Liabilities & End-of-Year Logistics

Costs for Damaged, Lost or Stolen iPads/Laptops

Students will be held responsible for ALL damage to their iPad or laptop and accessories not covered by warranty including, but not limited to: broken screens, cracked pieces, inoperability, etc. In the event of damage not covered by the warranty, the student and parent will be billed a fee according to the schedule below. The student will check in/check out a loaner iPad or laptop until the fee is paid to the school (unless the fee is charged due to gross negligence, intentional destruction, or willful misconduct – administration will then determine iPad or laptop use for the student). 

• First incident – up to $100

• Second incident – up to $200

• Third incident – up to full cost of repair or replacement

To ensure clarity regarding the policy exceptions mentioned above, the district defines gross negligence, intentional destruction, and willful misconduct as follows:

• Gross negligence is a severe lack of care that goes far beyond a simple accident or ordinary carelessness. It means acting with complete disregard for the safety or preservation of the device, knowing that damage is a highly likely result.

  • Ordinary Carelessness (Not Gross Negligence): Accidentally bumping a table and causing a laptop to slide off, or tripping over a charging cord.

  • Gross Negligence (Policy Violation): Leaving a laptop on the hood of a car and driving away, throwing a backpack containing an unprotected device across a room, or leaving the device outside overnight in the rain.

• Intentional Destruction

  • Intentional destruction means purposely and deliberately damaging, breaking, or altering school property with full awareness of the actions and the intent to cause harm.

  • Examples: Purposely cracking the screen, ripping keys off the keyboard on purpose, carving words into the laptop casing, or throwing the device against a wall out of anger.

• Willful Misconduct

  • Willful misconduct is a deliberate, conscious choice to violate known school rules or policies, completely ignoring the predictable consequences or damages that could follow.

  • Examples: Intentionally bypassing the district's security filters to download unauthorized hacking software, or removing the device from its mandatory protective case to modify internal hardware components against explicit guidelines.

NOTE: Full cost for repair or replacement will be charged when damage occurs due to gross negligence, intentional destruction, or willful misconduct as determined by the administration. In the event the iPad or laptop, cover, case, bag or cables are lost or stolen, the student and parent may be billed the full cost of replacement as determined by the administration.

Returning the iPad/Laptop

iPads and laptops will be returned during the final week of school for updates during the summer months. If a student transfers out of the Central Community School District during the school year, the iPad or laptop will be returned at that time.

Check-In Fines

All school-issued iPads, laptops and accessories must be returned to Central Community School at the end of each school year. Students who graduate early, transfer to alternative school, withdraw, are suspended or expelled, or terminate enrollment at Central Community School for any other reason must return their school-issued iPad or laptop on the date of termination. If a student fails to return the iPad or laptop at the end of the school year or upon termination of enrollment, that student will be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability. Failure to return the iPad or laptop will result in a theft report being filed with the Elkader Police Department. The student will also be responsible for the replacement cost of the iPad or laptop.

Furthermore, the student will be responsible for any damage to the iPad or laptop, consistent with the District’s Acceptable Use Agreement, and must return the iPad or laptop and accessories to Central Community School in satisfactory condition. The student will be charged a fee for any needed repairs due to damage, not to exceed the replacement cost of the iPad or laptop.