Potosi High School gains a new loaner Chromebook policy
At the beginning of this school year, PHS decided to take charge of the problem of the high number of loaner Chromebooks being used every day by enforcing a new disciplinary policy with the goal of lowering the number of loaners being checked out.
The new policy states that checking out two loaners in a semester results in a lunch detention, not returning the loaner at the end of the day results in a lunch detention, and if there are repeated lunch detentions, then it may result in a write-up. With this new disciplinary policy, the number of loaners being checked out a day has dramatically decreased.
From maybe 20-30 loaners a day to 8-10 loaners being checked out shows that the new rule has definitely made an impact. Mrs. Christopher also expressed her pleasure in not having to “chase down” all the kids that hadn’t returned the loaners by the end of the day, and now all the loaners are getting returned on time.
Mrs. Christopher said that before there had been an obnoxious number of loaners being used the day before the rule was in place, and how she tried countless different ways to make getting a loaner efficient and easy; however, those tactics didn’t work. Endless loaners would be out past their appropriate time, and also the same kids would always be the ones to come back every day.
According to junior Aaron Cain, he has already checked out six loaners in the first three weeks of school, and the first few check-outs resulted in a warning, and the others ended up in lunch detention.
Cain said, “I think they should extend the time that a loaner can be checked out for those who don’t have access to their own, so they still have a Chromebook to use without needing to get one every day.”
When asked why he checks out as many loaners as he does, he responded, “I can’t find my original Chromebook and am having to regularly get loaners.”
This policy has been effective for staff and students, though some adjustments could be made to strengthen the policy. It has definitely made a decrease in loaners being checked out by a higher number of people every day. Loaners are still in use every day, but now there is a manageable way to handle the loaners.
Mrs. Christopher said, “The loaner policy is working out pretty well so far. You get two loans a semester, and then if you borrow after that, you will serve lunch detention. If the borrowing becomes excessive, then there will be a parent call and principal meeting. All loaners are due back by the end of the day, or lunch duty is assigned.”
