Kensington board seeks parent input on new state rule banning student personal communication devices during school hours

The Kensington School District board opened public input and asked parents and community members to submit feedback as staff drafts a new personal‑communication‑device policy required by recent state law.

The district told the meeting that the new law, signed June 27, requires a policy that prohibits personal communication devices for students "from when the first bell rings to when the last dismissal bell rings," with limited exemptions for medical, disability or language‑access needs as determined by the superintendent. The board said the SAU policy committee will review a proposed district policy in September and potentially bring a proposal to the board in October.

Principal Becky Ruehl told the meeting parents have largely been cooperative with the shift in the law and noted the law’s definition includes smartwatches: "Our parents have been very really cooperative, in understanding the shift in the law," she said. The board…