Committee updates student-device policy; adds smartwatches and flags teacher-supervision concern

The New Hanover County Schools policy committee on Sept. 11 voted to send an updated student-device policy to the full board with one specific addition: smartwatches (for example Apple Watch and similar devices) will be included in the policy's definition of wireless communication devices. Staff explained the draft follows recent statutory and model-language guidance and includes definitions, authorized uses, and administrator authority to establish additional limitations. The committee discussed a sentence in the model language that said "teachers may authorize individual students to use the devices for instructional purposes provided that they supervise the students during such use." Several members raised practicality concerns, noting a teacher with a full classroom cannot continuously monitor individual devices. One staff member said middle- and high-school students normally have district-provided laptops, which reduce the need for phone use except when a laptop is unavailable or broken. Committee members agreed to add a definition for smartwatches under the "wireless communication device" category and to forward the revised policy to the full board. Members asked staff to confirm how administrators will implement the supervision requirement in practice and to consider adding language clarifying expectations when district-issued devices are available. The committee approved forwarding the revised policy to the full board by a 3-0 vote.