Board adopts Parents' Bill of Rights and device policy; smartwatch enforcement flagged as challenge

The SMS School Board approved two policies at its September meeting: a Parents' Bill of Rights policy and an unauthorized communications/devices policy that restricts personal devices during the school day, the board said. Under the device policy the district will limit personal electronic device use during instructional time, with exceptions for authorized educational use or documented medical needs. Board and staff discussion focused on smartwatches, which can display time while also receiving notifications; administrators said students have begun using smartwatches more and that the presence of notification-capable watches complicates enforcement. "They have... hit it and it's black and they're probably right," an administrator said of students using smartwatches to hide activity. The administration recommended clarifying procedures and monitoring at the middle and high school levels where devices are more prevalent. Staff emphasized modeling of expectations by employees and a plan to accommodate legitimate, preauthorized emergency contact needs. The board voted to approve the policies and completed the routine annual review of several related policies. Administrators said much of the Parents' Bill of Rights language compiles requirements already present in existing law and policy; the new policy centralizes references and prescriptive steps for reporting and parental access that the state model requires. Board members asked administration to report back on implementation complexities and to propose clarifying language where enforcement difficulty arises, particularly around smartwatches.