Message from Gayle Wolotsky, Technology Director
Our laptop protection plan is an optional plan available to all families. There is a $25 annual premium and a 20% deductible. Scholarship programs are available. Please contact your schools main office for details. If a family decides not to participate in the plan, the family accepts responsibility for the full cost of any out of warranty repairs.
Our protection plan is designed to offer families coverage when non-warranty damage occurs to the laptop. Apple's warranty does not cover any accidental damage. The DOE, through the Buffer Pool, does offer some coverage for non-warranty damage, but we have found this coverage to be insufficient. Buffer Pool information can be found on page 33 of the following link:
http://www.maine.gov/tools/
In paragraph two on page 33, it reads, "Schools must balance local costs for non-warranty repairs and limited budgets against the finite nature of the Buffer Pool." The DOE recognizes the need for coverage in addition to the Buffer Pool and Apple's warranty. Rather than budget money locally, as the DOE has suggested to me, RSU 5 has elected to create a self-protection plan. Many other school districts have created self-protection plans as well. This is common practice through out the state.
Examples of non-warranty damage are: all accidental damage, broken LCDs/screens, liquid spills resulting in damage to the main logic board, damaged hard drives due to excessive movement of the device, etc. Funds in our laptop protection plan are used to pay for these repairs. Some of these repairs can cost in excess of $1000.00.