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Derby speakers push board to act on student cell phone use as state task force recommends bans
Summary
At the May 12 Derby Board of Education meeting, a resident urged action on student anxiety and cell-phone use and a board member said a Kansas task force recommended district-level bans; no formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.
A Derby resident urged the Derby Board of Education on May 12 to address student anxiety tied to cell phones and algorithms, and a board member said a Kansas task force recommended districts consider banning phone use in schools.
Resident James Hanford told the board he had come “to talk about something the board has raised a couple of times, the anxious generation, Jonathan Haidt, cell phones, anxiety among students, algorithms.” He urged that solutions require buy-in from administration, teachers, parents and students.
Board member Kathy Pearman responded that the state task force “did recommend banning cell phone use, but they left it up to each individual school district.” Pearman said the panel did not direct a single statewide policy but recognized phones as a classroom distraction.
The conversation at the meeting combined public comment and a board member update; it did not include a motion to adopt or change district policy. No formal action on a phone ban was taken during the meeting. Board members said the issue is complex and would require districtwide collaboration before any rule change.
Speakers at the meeting described concerns beyond screens alone, including free play and broader social anxiety, but did not present a single, board-approved policy. The board’s remarks indicated they plan further local discussion rather than immediate rulemaking.
The board did not set a timeline for a decision or direct staff to draft a specific policy at the May 12 session.
