Idaho Falls School District 91

Please review this page for answers to frequently asked questions regarding the 1 to 1 initiative.

1. What grade levels are going 1:1?

Students in Grades K through 12. Pre K is not included at this time.

2. What devices are being issued to students?

Students in grades K-8 are eligible to receive a Chromebook. Students attending Compass Academy will continue to receive a laptop. All other face to face high school students will receive either a laptop or a Chromebook depending on what is required for the courses the student is taking and availability. All D91 Online Academy students are eligible to receive a Chromebook.

3. Are all 1:1 grade levels able to take their device home?

Yes, the intent is for all 1:1 students to take their device home from school each day. A charging cable will be supplied with the goal of charging at home if at all possible. There may be some exceptions that will be handled on an individual basis where this isn’t possible. School staff will help families work through this.

4. If I checked out a Chromebook last spring or this summer what do I do now?

Do not pick up a 2nd Chromebook at school. Bring THIS Chromebook to school with you each day charged and ready to go.

5. Are students in the new online school required to use a district issued Chromebook?

No. Chromebooks are available while supplies last for students who do not have a device or who are having difficulties accessing required tools and content using their personally owned device.

6. Are cases being issued for the device?

There are no district plans for this at this time.

7. Can my student/I refuse the district-provided device?

Yes. If the student has a personally owned device that is preferred and no current difficulties accessing tools and content the district-provided device can be declined. However, if technical issues and support begin to delay access to learning and overwhelm the teacher and support staff, the student will be encouraged to try a district issued device.

8. Is there a fee for the device.

No

9. Are there charges for repair or replacement?

An Insurance program for devices is currently available for Compass students and may be added for all families in the future. All other schools and Compass students who did not purchase insurance will be assessed a charge based on the cost of the repair and the student/family ability to pay. Please take good care of the equipment. Do not let the potential of damage or theft prevent you from taking advantage of this opportunity. We are aware that unintentional accidents happen and will work together to provide a working device with as little financial impact to families as possible. There is no charge for normal wear and tear.

10. My Chromebook or laptop is broken, how do I get it fixed?

Students have access to our IT Help Ticket system, which is preferred, or can call the IT Help Desk at (208)525-7556 for assistance. Parents may call the help desk or enter an IT Help Ticket using your child’s username and password.

11. Will the Chromebook or laptop have internet filtering when used off campus?

Yes

12. What if students do not have access to the Internet at home?

A device will be issued regardless. Some documents can be accessed in ‘offline mode’. Also, families with no internet access at home may need to work with relatives, neighbors and other supports to help students access online content in places where free internet access is available. Free wireless is available at any school building or the district office and extends to parking lots and is also available at a number of locations in town.

13. Will I be allowed to continue to use my personal device (laptop, smartphone, etc) at school or will I be required to use a district device?

Personally owned devices are still allowed to be used on campus. However, using a district device is encouraged, especially while at school. District devices offer internet filtering and are ‘pre loaded’ with software that students need to take tests and more. Students using a personal device can connect to the district wireless network while on campus. Also, free wireless is available to any community member at any school building or the district office and extended to parking lots. Simply connect to D91 Guest wifi and click agree. After 30 minutes you will need to reconnect.

14. Will 1:1 be used for everything or will students carry the district issued device to each class along with textbooks, notebooks and papers?

It is our goal to reduce the weight secondary students take from class to class and sharing of items from student to student. However, please be aware that there are many courses and the large investment of shifting textbook and paper resources to digital content takes time and financial resources to make this large shift.

15. Do parents need to sign a form to check a Chromebook out?

Yes, parents need to update and digitally sign agreements each year using their PowerSchool Unified Classroom Parent Account. This form is available in the system. We encourage you to complete this new process online each year.