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The Connected Classroom
Our District offers a device lending program that enables students in K-12 grades to have a designated device for use both at school and at home. Through this initiative, we can ensure that our students have access to the tools they need to further their education and thrive in the digital age.
Checking out a device for your student ensures that they will have access to technology and the vast resources it provides to enhance their learning throughout the school day as well as when they are at home. These devices are governed by the NEISD Internet content filter when connected to any wireless network, which helps to protect students from inappropriate content, while providing access to a range of instructional resources and apps vital to learning.
Please follow these three easy steps to reserve a device for your student:
1) Sign into Skyward Family Access, click on the Automated Forms tile and complete the Technology Lending Agreement.
2) Pay the $25 Student Device Insurance through SchoolCash Online.
3) Device distribution through the campus on a campus designated date on or after August 25th.
See more information in the boxes below.
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1) Sign The Lending Agreement
Between August 4th -April 30th
If you would like to check out a device for your student, please complete the Technology Lending Agreement form located within the Automated Forms tile located in Skyward Family Access.
Note: A paper copy of the form can be obtained from the school office if you prefer that instead. (Castle Hills Elementary will be between July 29-April 30)
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2) Pay Device Insurance
Between August 4th - April 30th
Visit School Cash Online and purchase Device Insurance (Credit Card or eCheck) - $25.00. (Click here for directions)
Note: A cash payment of $25.00 (no checks) can be made at the school if you do not want to pay with credit card or eCheck.(Castle Hills Elementary will be between July 29-April 30)
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3) Device Distribution
Starting August 25th
Each campus will send out information regarding specific device checkout dates and times within this timeframe. You, or your student (if authorized on the Technology Lending Agreement), may retrieve the device from the school according to the information that is shared. Students will bring their assigned device home each evening and return with them, charged and ready for learning the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are these devices filtered to help protect my student from inappropriate content while on the Internet?
Yes. These devices are governed by the NEISD Internet content filter when connected to any wireless network, which helps to protect students from inappropriate content, while providing access to a range of instructional resources and apps that enhance learning. Social Media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Snapchat, Twitter(X), etc.), and common streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Max, Prime Video, etc.) are blocked on these devices even when connected to your home Internet service. No Internet filter is 100% perfect. We encourage you to monitor your student use of the devices when possible and have conversations and expectations regarding their appropriate use while at home.
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Is there any reason to check out a device if we don't have Internet access at home?
Yes. iPads use applications that often do not require Internet access to use, and Chromebooks can work in an off-line mode that allows your student to complete assignments through Google Classroom and then upload their work once they return to the school. Additionally, every campus has Internet Access in the parking lots available from 6:00 a.m - 11:00 p.m. if access is needed. (Campus Maps coming soon!)
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Is my student expected to bring the device to school each day?
Yes. If you choose to check out a device for your student(s), they are expected to bring it to school every day, with a full charge, ready for use in the classroom.
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Who do I contact if I completed all the prerequisites to have a device sent home with my student (Lending Agreement and Device Insurance), but no device is being sent home?
Please contact the administration at the campus to request that the device be sent home daily with your student.
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If the device is lost or damaged, do I have to pay an additional $25 for insurance to get a new device?
Yes. The $25 that you pay to obtain the first device covers repair/replacement on THAT device only. Should that device be lost/stolen/damaged, a second device can be obtained from the school if an additional $25 is paid. Only two devices can be issued to a student for home use each school year. If both devices are lost/stolen/damaged, the student will only be able to use devices at school and will lose take-home privileges.
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Do we get a refund of the $25 Device Insurance if the device and charger are returned in good working condition?
No. The $25 is retained by our District to help cover cleaning/servicing to make it ready for future checkout as well as to help offset the cost of repair/replacement to other devices that have been lost/stolen/damaged...similar to how auto and home insurance work.
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Should we checkout a device even if my student rarely has school work to complete at home?
The benefits of technology access may extend beyond what is taught at school. By providing a device to your student at home, they can access an array of digital resources provided by our District that help them explore interests, make real-world connections, and further develop their creative thinking. As such, we believe that every student should check out a device for use at home.
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Should we check out a device even if we already have technology at home?
Not all technology is the same. By checking out a device for your student, you ensure that they are using the same technology that they will have access to at school during regular instruction and online testing. This familiarity helps build confidence and a sense of responsibility to take care of the device that they have been assigned.
