District 15 smartphone committee recommends classroom phone separation, policy change and parent education

Palatine CCSD 15 officials and the district Smartphone at School Committee told trustees on Wednesday that classroom learning is impaired even by the mere presence of students’ smartphones and recommended a policy requiring phones be stored away during instructional time.

A staff member identified in the meeting as MJ presented the committee’s findings and cited research summarizing experimental studies that found “actual physical separation from the phone was the only effective solution,” meaning that having devices out of the students’ immediate reach produced the best academic outcomes. MJ said the committee’s recommendations are intended to support students’ attention, mental health and classroom climate and to create consistency across classrooms.

The committee asked trustees to update Board policy 7:190 (Smartphones at School) to clarify that during instructional time phones should be silenced, vibration should be turned off and devices should be stored in backpacks or lockers and otherwise kept away from instructional areas. The committee’s proposal applies to elementary classrooms that lack lockers by calling for phones to remain in backpacks "away and out of the instructional classroom.”

School staff, administrators and board members discussed operational details: whether to require both ringer and vibrate be disabled; how to teach students to silence or store phones during welcome-week lessons; how expectations apply in passing periods and at lockers; and enforcement practices. Board members and administrators said they expect principals and assistant principals to work out building-specific logistics and to promote consistent expectations across classrooms.

The committee recommended an implementation plan emphasizing family partnerships and staff training. Planned actions include a summer and fall professional-development rollout for staff, parent-facing workshops and community screenings of a documentary to help families discuss technology habits, integrating digital-wellness lessons into the schools’ welcome-week and middle-school SEL programming, and student-led PSA and club work on campuses.

Legal and policy context: MJ noted that the Illinois legislature passed a bill requiring school districts to adopt classroom phone restrictions; the committee presented draft language for policy 7:190 to align district rules with the state law’s timeline. The district will present the formal policy reading and administrative guidance in coming meetings.

What trustees decided: the board engaged in discussion and asked clarifying questions but did not vote to adopt a final policy at the meeting. Administration said it will bring a proposed policy reading forward and provide additional details for building-level implementation ahead of the 2025–26 school year.

Why it matters: the committee framed the change as a classroom practice intended to improve focus, reduce distraction and support student mental health while keeping teachers and students as the primary actors in instruction. Parents at the meeting had mixed views during public comment—some urged strict limits on screen time, while others acknowledged technology’s instructional value when used intentionally.

What’s next: the administration will post draft policy language, schedule professional development and parent workshops for the fall, and monitor implementation via school leaders; the board will consider formal policy adoption in a future meeting.