Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Device Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board advances student "internet-enabled device" policy amid high-school concerns
Summary
The board advanced a new student internet-enabled device policy (policy 5695) as a first reading after an extensive discussion about enforcement, exemptions for devices that cannot access internet content, and likely high-school implementation challenges.
The Board of Education approved a first reading of a new student internet-enabled device policy (policy number 5695) at its June 25 meeting after an extended discussion about how the law will affect classroom practice and discipline, especially at the high school.
Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter explained the policy reflects state law and guidance the district has been reviewing over several months; the district solicited staff and student input and ran a community survey. She said the district will provide school-issued devices where required and make accommodations for students with curricular needs that require higher-end hardware.
Board members and administrators debated technical and enforcement details: Rob asked whether the district could substitute “however” or add clarifying language where the draft appeared to allow progressive discipline up to suspension. Counsel and district legal advisers reviewed the language and emphasized that disciplinary steps would be tied to failure to follow a staff directive rather than mere possession of a device alone.
Board members sought clarity about which wearable or limited-connectivity devices would be allowed. The district said devices that are communicative but do not provide access to internet content (for example, a “Gizmo” or a non‑internet smartwatch) would be permitted; an Apple Watch or smartwatch that can access web content would not be allowed during the school day. The policy applies bell-to-bell (during the school day) and does not change access during after-school activities and athletics.
Several speakers raised concerns about the law’s practical effects at the high school level — two-factor authentication for college applications, the use of filtered personal devices on school networks, and daily classroom practice that depends on immediate internet access. The district said it will monitor implementation, survey staff and students during the year and report back to the board with findings.
The board voted to advance the policy as a first reading; members urged district staff to refine regulations and procedures and to highlight student-portal and staff-exemption use cases and to collect community feedback through the posted survey.
