FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The Superintendent of East Allen County Schools admits the district could’ve done a better job warning parents about a hike in the fees charged for students to rent iPads.

An online petition gained some ground this week as parents voiced opposition to the increase, which saw the fee go from $30 to a little over $131. School officials say they gave parents plenty of notice in the newspaper and at registration, but Superintendent Kenneth Folks adds that maybe that wasn’t enough:

“The board adopted it in May, we posted it on our website in June, and made information available at Registration… we thought we communicated this well, but looking back, I could have easily done a School Messenger to make sure that everybody got this message.”

The increase is chalked up to the need for a special warranty plan for each device, due to the iPads wearing out or being broken faster than district officials planned.

Hear Folks’ full interview by clicking here.