Charger Problems: Falcons Run Low on Juice

Jordan has been facing a lack of computer chargers because of students not returning their chargers last year. Ms. Stacy, one of Jordan’s media center coordinators, said “Many students keep their chargers from the previous year, and DPS isn’t able to cover the amount of chargers lost.” Due to chargers getting stolen or being kept, Jordan has been operating on a charger deficit for the past couple of years. There will be no immediate solution to the lack of chargers, but both Ms. Stacy and Ms. Montgomery, Jordan’s other media coordinator, encourage students to buy their own chargers.

“But I’m broke,” said 11^th grader Antoine Hunt. Hunt adds that he would love to buy his own. In the meantime, he says he’s struggling to keep up with schoolwork. “It sucks because I’m always borrowing someone’s charger. I get behind on work because I can’t do it when my Chromebook is dead.”

Jordan’s media center coordinators are currently working on solutions. Ms. Stacy reported that she and Ms. Montgomery are working towards creating a charging station in the media center so students can drop off their computers during their designated lunch times if they aren’t able to charge it otherwise. Last year, teachers were given chargers to lend to students, and Ms. Stacy said that she and Ms. Montgomery are still working on giving chargers out to new teachers or ones that do not have chargers.

Additionally, a new $30 computer fee has been introduced to Durham Public Schools families this year. “Students have to make a contribution or Durham Public Schools isn’t able to afford Chromebooks for everyone,” according to Ms. Montgomery. Durham Public Schools has recently faced uncertainty around its budget and is no longer able to cover the price for every Chromebook, charger, technical issue, or broken part. Without this student contribution, Jordan students would not have access to Chromebooks this year.