Following parental resistance to a new $40 chromebook technology fee, Bensalem Township School District issued clarifications on why families need to pay and what that money is used for.<\/p>\n
The new Chromebook fee \u2014 assessed to all students in grades 3 to 12 \u2014 costs families $40 per student, capped at $80 a family regardless of the number of students, and covers the first damage, repair or replacement.<\/p>\n
On Sept. 1, an anonymous user in a Bensalem School District parents Facebook group posted<\/a> about the new Chromebook fee, asking why parents are now being charged for school mandated laptops.<\/p>\n What followed was over 130 comments from parents in the district, with many arguing against the Chromebook charge, or paying for a used laptop altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cGive me the option to buy my kids their own Chromebook that they can take to and from school,\u201d Joshua Rigle said. \u201cI\u2019m not paying for a used Chromebook every year.\u201d<\/p>\n Other commenters explained that surrounding schools have similar fees. Families of Bristol Township School District students are charged<\/a> $35 per student, capped at $70 per household.<\/p>\n Shaina Achuff has two children at Valley Elementary School and was one of the parents who participated in the Facebook Chromebook conversation.<\/p>\n READ: Parents in Lower Merion School District Demanding Tech Opt Outs Take Their Fight to Federal Court<\/a><\/p>\n After receiving an email noting the yearly technology fee, Achuff reached out to the district for clarification. She was not aware that she had to pay the $40 charge for her daughter\u2019s laptop.<\/p>\n In response, Karen Winters \u2014 a member of Bensalem\u2019s school board \u2014 explained the board had discussed this fee during \u201cmultiple public board meetings\u201d ahead of the June 30 budget deadline. However, Achuff still felt the district did not do enough to communicate this new cost to families.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost like they were trying to hide it and sneak it in,\u201d Achuff said. \u201cI don\u2019t like people trying to do that to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Over a week after the initial Facebook post, the Bensalem school board of directors sent a letter to families in the district on Sept. 11 to offer an explanation for the $40 fee.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize that fees represent an additional expense for families, and that concern was an\u00a0 important part of the Board\u2019s consideration,\u201d the board said. \u201cThe district remains committed to ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent students from accessing the technology they need for school.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bensalem had charged families a $25 annual technology fee to offset Chromebook costs. However, throughout and following coronavirus school closures, the district said they used COVID relief funding to cover this fee.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost like they were trying to hide it and sneak it in. I don\u2019t like people trying to do that to me.\u201d \u2013 Shaina Achuff, Bensalem School District Parent<\/p>\n This year \u2014 in the 2026-27 budget cycle \u2014 the board said they faced increased financial pressure, due to the increased cost of the laptops and the \u201ccontinued volatility in the cost of imported technology, electronic components, metals, and other materials.\u201d<\/p>\n With the current financial situation and increased costs of technology, the board decided it was no longer feasible to absorb Chromebook associated costs. These fees, according to the district, are also not intended to generate revenue, just to offset costs of maintenance and repairs to student technology.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was not a decision made lightly. The district held off on implementing an annual technology fee for a significant period of time,\u201d the board said.<\/p>\n Individual schools will contact families when their Chromebook payment is due, according to the district. Those experiencing financial hardship are asked to complete Bensalem\u2019s income survey<\/a> to help identify those in need of assistance.<\/p>\n Although the district has clarified their reasoning and detailed what the Chromebook fee will be used for, some Bensalem officials are still expecting more questions from the community.<\/p>\n