BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS Office of the Superintendent 65 Niagara Square Room #712 City Hall Buffalo, New York 14202 Phone (716) 816-3575 * Fax (716) 851-3033 [email protected]

Dear Colleagues,

Buffalo Public Schools’ Education Bargain states: the District will guarantee pathways to opportunity that will lead to achievement and success in exchange for hard work, commitment, and collaboration of our students and parents.

Since the onset of the pandemic, tens of thousands of laptops and iPads were distributed to Buffalo Public Schools’ students for remote learning. Access to technology is not only an essential instructional tool for modern-day teaching and learning, but also a privilege. Students must take EXTRAORDINARY good care of the device loaned to them and parents must make certain this happens. This letter serves to ensure there are clear guidelines regarding the process and the consequences of lost, damaged or destroyed devices.

Lost/Stolen iPads In the event a computer is lost or stolen, a police report must be filed immediately. A copy of the report should be brought to staff at the Center for Innovation, Technology and Training at 1515 South Park Avenue or emailed to [email protected] along with details about the student (name, school, grade). No replacement device will be issued without a police report.

Note: The District will deactivate the device immediately upon receipt of report.

Replacement Power Cords To date, approximately 1490 power cords have been replaced. Power cords will only be replaced at no charge if the old power cord is returned at the time of the requested replacement.

Note: The cost to replace a power cord is $30 and must be paid prior to the student being issued a replacement.

Damaged/Destroyed Devices It has also come to my attention that 1090 computer devices have been damaged since the beginning of the school year; approximately 35% are laptops and 65% are iPads. The majority of these devices have catastrophic damage that cannot be repaired. Since November 1st, 865 damaged/destroyed devices have been reported.

Damaged devices will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if a replacement device will be issued. If the device can be repaired, you may be asked to leave the device for repair and will be contacted when the device is ready for pickup.

Additionally, as Superintendent, I may also review and approve/deny a replacement device, particularly if there are repeat offenses or obvious malicious intent by the student to damage/destroy the device. I will also determine if there will be a financial obligation that must be met as a result of the damage to the device.

Note: The cost to replace a damaged/destroyed device is $450 per iPad, $533 per laptop, $100 per iPad keyboard, $30 per iPad cover and $126.69 per graphing calculator. If this fee is applied, it must be paid prior to the student being issued a replacement device. We are working with local area vendors to provide a menu of lower repair costs if possible.

As a reminder, all issues concerning student technology being used for remote learning should be presented to staff at 1515 South Park Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14220 between 10 am – 4pm, Monday through Friday. Parents/students may also call the IT Help Desk at (716) 816-7100 – Press Option 1 for technology assistance or additional information.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kriner Cash Superintendent of Schools

“Putting Children & Families First to Ensure High Academic Achievement for All”