DRAFT

The Rockport Public Schools (RPS) appreciate the donation of computer hardware/software, however despite the high demand for more/better computers, it is important to ensure that we only accept donations that are up to acceptable standards. The following guidelines apply to acceptance of donated equipment:

1. All equipment accepted by RPS should be in good working order. If the equipment is not in good working order, the accepting department or school assumes responsibility for the costs of putting the equipment in good working order.

Comment: Often a donor wishes to dispose of equipment that is not in working order. They may have the belief that giving it to RPS is a positive way to dispose of it and that the district can make use of it. Unfortunately, there are often significant costs, time and effort involved with returning the equipment to good working order. For this reason, it is generally advisable to decline equipment that is not in initial good working condition. The Technology Department can assist school/district personnel in determining whether a potential donation is in good working order.

2. Current List of accepted equipment:

· PCs must have a Pentium IV and Macs a G4 or higher Processor

· Computers must have a minimum of 512MB of RAM

· Color monitors depending on need & must be at least 17” & no more than 2 years old

· Printers must be Laser (no inkjets) and of certain makes no more than 3 years old

· Scanners and other peripherals that can be connected via USB or Firewire only

· Networking hardware must be at least 10/100Mbps and 802.11G for Wireless

*Certain exceptions to these minimum requirements may apply under special circumstances

3. Whenever possible, accept only equipment that is supported by RPS. In addition to meeting the minimum requirements mentioned above, The RPS technology department has established certain builds, models and configurations that they can effectively support through hardware/software standardization. Hardware/Software that does not fit into this mold is often very time-consuming and costly to provide support for. If a donation would require an excessive amount of labor or parts/resources that we don’t have readily available, the cost of servicing it often ends up being more than the item is worth, so despite the donar’s best intentions it is recommended that we do not accept those donations.

4. Donated network equipment should not be connected to the district network without specific permission and direction from district network support personnel. Donated computers should only be connected to a network after review and approval by district technology staff.

Comment: The district strives to maintain network operations that will be efficient reliable and stable. A computer or piece of networking equipment that is lacking the necessary security, malfunctioning or improperly installed can destroy the integrity of the entire network and cause unfavorable network conditions that can impact many students, staff and services. Under no conditions should anyone plug any unauthorized hardware in the RPS computer network without prior approval of the school/district technology staff.

5. Make sure donor provides software licenses for any donated software, including operating system software.

Comment: The district makes every effort to be in compliance with licensing/copyright laws. Without proof of license, these software items must be removed or purchased by the district. This cost should be considered before accepting the donation.

6. A donation form should be filled out for all incoming donations and submitted to the district office. The form will list the make, model and serial number of donated items. RPS will determine an approximate value of any donated items based on current market prices for similar items of similar age, condition and specification.

Comment: A simple thank-you letter that lists the items that have been donated are appreciated by most donors and useful in many cases for tax purposes.

7. Items offered for donation at the district level will be reviewed by the Technology Department for acceptance.Distribution of donated items to departments or schools will be handled by the Technology Director. A donor may choose to designate a specific school or department to receive the donated items. If undesignated, the Technology Director will determine appropriate distribution by an assessment of need, or by soliciting proposals for usage of the equipment and selecting the recipient(s) on the merit of their proposal(s).

8. The Technology Department will answer questions about the advisability of accepting donations.

If you wish to donate computer equipment, please contact the Technology Department at (978) 546-1233, or email the Technology Director, Louis Caputo at lcaputo@rockport.k12.ma.us.