Centennial board reviews first draft of personal electronic devices policy after large survey response

The Centennial School District Governing Board held a first reading of a proposed policy to restrict student use of personal electronic devices during instructional hours, as required by a governor's executive order, and reviewed survey results from students, parents and staff ahead of a vote expected next month.

Board members said the policy matters because it must be adopted by the end of the month to comply with the executive order and will take effect Jan. 1; district staff emphasized the need for clear communication, consistent enforcement and multilingual materials for families.

Director Olsen presented survey results gathered this fall from 1,623 students, 312 parents and 108 staff responses and summarized the main themes: safety and emergency access, requests for multilingual communication, inconsistent enforcement, and requests for clearer definitions and procedures. "Many parents worried that students couldn't contact…