The Westland-Wilsonville School District board voted 5-0 Monday to adopt revisions to policy JFECB that prohibit students from using personal electronic devices during instructional hours in district high schools and limit use in other grade levels. The board approved the change after staff outlined outreach, enforcement and exemption procedures.
The board and district leaders said the change responds to an executive order and aims to reduce classroom distraction and improve student safety and engagement. Superintendent Dr. Ludwig and Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Spencer Ryants described outreach to families, students and staff and said the district will phase in clear rules and supports before full enforcement.
Board members and staff said the policy is required by a governor's executive order and must be adopted by Oct. 31; implementation can begin Jan. 1 but the district plans to start the school year with expectations in place. “By law, we have to have a policy passed by October 31,” Dr. Ryants told the board, noting the district also will provide classroom lessons, videos and repeated reminders for students as part of rollout.
Under the policy as presented, students may not have devices on their person during instructional hours; devices must be stored off the student’s person (for example, in a locker or backpack). At the high school level, the district’s guidance says the school day (08:30–15:05) will be covered by the restriction. Staff described a graduated enforcement approach: a first in-class instance will result in the device being held and returned at the end of the day; subsequent incidents may require a family to pick the device up from school. District staff said they will not use disciplinary measures that exclude students from instruction for violations, consistent with the executive order.
District staff described exemptions the board will allow for medical needs and other narrowly defined reasons and said administrators are developing an exemption form and documentation process. Staff also said headphones and earbuds present special operational issues and that the district will provide school-compatible earphones and alternatives for instructional uses that previously relied on student phones (for example, cameras for art and journalism classes). Dr. Ryants said the district is buying cameras and other equipment to support teachers who used phones for instruction.
Board members asked about equity and enforcement. Director Salvaggio asked whether the policy could disproportionately affect lower-income students who rely on cell phones for internet access; staff replied that the district provides 1:1 devices at the high school level and other school-supplied technology during the school day and that the district will track incidents and patterns to avoid inequitable outcomes. Staff said teachers will use a simple time-stamped reporting form so schools can identify repeat violations and work with families rather than escalating exclusionary discipline.
The motion to adopt the revisions to policy JFECB passed unanimously, 5 to 0. The board and staff said they will continue an outreach campaign that includes student videos, ParentSquare messages and repeated classroom reminders before full enforcement.
Implementation timeline and next steps include school-level orientation, creation of the OSBA-provided exemption form, distribution of new school devices for instructional purposes and ongoing monitoring of discipline data to detect disparities.