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New state mandate forces district to adopt student device policy by Aug. 1; board debates enforcement details
Summary
Following a new state law, the board reviewed a first-read policy on June 17 that will prohibit students from using personally owned internet-enabled devices during the school day; trustees debated operational enforcement language such as —3off—4 versus —3silenced.—4
The Port Washington Board of Education reviewed a first-draft policy on personal electronic devices at its June 17 meeting to comply with recently enacted state law. The statute requires districts to adopt a written policy prohibiting student use of personally owned internet-enabled devices during the school day; the law includes listed exceptions for individualized education plan (IEP) needs and other narrowly defined circumstances.
Policy Committee Chair (Trustee) Julie Epstein said the draft mirrors the mandated language and that the district had used NISPA templates as a baseline. Epstein told the board the administration had sought stakeholder input through compact committees that included students, staff and administrators.
Trustees debated enforcement details. Several trustees argued for clear operational rules that make compliance easier for staff (for example, turning devices off or storing them in pouches) and reduce enforcement burden; others preferred a lighter approach for the policy—s first year to allow administrators to collect feedback and refine the policy after implementation. Epstein and others noted the board must adopt a policy by Aug. 1 to comply with the law.
Trustee Deborah Brooks asked whether the policy should require devices be —3off—4 rather than —3silenced—4 to reduce the chance that vibration and notifications prompt students to unzip backpacks during class. Trustees also discussed student input and the need to review impact at midyear.
Board and administration said the policy will be returned for a second read and adoption at a future meeting (the administration also intends to collect further stakeholder input and monitor implementation). The board did not adopt final enforcement language at the June 17 meeting.
Why it matters: The law alters in-school device rules across the state; how districts operationalize the mandate affects classroom instruction, student access to online resources and staff enforcement workload. The board—s early decision to implement a policy while gathering feedback reflects an attempt to comply with the statute while preserving flexibility for local adjustments.
