Portland school board hears wide public comment on proposed districtwide cell‑phone ban; vote set for June 10

The Portland Board of Public Education on Tuesday heard hours of public comment and a staff workshop on a proposed update to policy JFCK that would make personal cellphones and similar devices inaccessible to students during the school day, with a board vote scheduled for June 10.

The proposal would require students who bring phones or other personal electronic devices to school to store them in locked or supervised storage during the school day; the policy draft also authorizes the superintendent to create implementing rules and procedures. Board members held a workshop after public comment to review feedback and implementation questions.

Why it matters: supporters told the board they see phone bans as a low‑cost way to reduce distraction, cyberbullying and anxiety and to increase classroom engagement, while opponents — including many high‑school students, some parents and several teachers — urged more time to refine implementation details and exemptions for safety, translation and off‑campus activities.

Teachers and parents who urged the ban described classroom and social benefits. "I'm a 25‑year veteran teacher of Portland's high schools," said Sarah Schmidt, a teacher at Deering High School. "Teenagers report that they are online almost constantly during the day ... phones are implicated in countless studies" linking social media to depression and attention problems. At Casco Bay High School, English teacher Cece Davies Robinson said school psychologist observations and research on learning gains support the change: "I believe that failure to support boundaries on this technology is a form of educational malpractice," she said.

Other speakers urged caution. Erica Lee Winship, a teacher at Portland High School, said Portland High already uses a functioning "phone hotel" system and that the district should consider a phased or differentiated approach for the high schools: "I haven't seen a lot of willingness to commit to student accountability from the central office staff or this board," she said, arguing for clearer progressive discipline and more preparation time for staff.

Board staff and administrators acknowledged both the research cited by supporters and the practical concerns raised by opponents. Dr. Warren (board member) and other staff said the proposed policy intentionally leaves implementation details — for example, whether to use locking pouches such as Yondr, how to treat off‑campus lunch or internships, and what narrow medical or instructional exceptions will look like — to the superintendent's rules so the district can adapt processes by school level. Assistant Superintendent Abdullah Ahmed and other administrators said schools can order pouch systems quickly if the board elects that route and that schools will need procedures for late arrivals, early dismissals and off‑campus programs.

The board has scheduled additional community engagement sessions (May 27 at Casco Bay, May 28 at King Middle School with interpreters) and said it will distribute a district survey before the June 10 vote. Board members and staff also plan site visits — the administration said it will visit Bath's Morse High School to observe a pouch‑based system already in use.

The debate touched on practical concerns that repeatedly returned in testimony: how families will contact students who are off campus at lunch or staying late for activities; whether Chromebooks and school devices provide adequate alternatives for translation and classwork; how to define "on the student's person" if pouches are used; and equitable treatment of multilingual learners, students with medical needs, and students who rely on phones for work or caretaking duties. Students and some staff said policies should be developed with substantial student input and clear enforcement plans to avoid uneven application.

What happens next: the board held a first read and a workshop on the draft policy on May 20; further engagement and a community survey are planned, and the board is scheduled to vote on revised policy JFCK on June 10. If adopted, the superintendent's office will publish implementing rules and procedures and outline timelines, equipment choices and exception processes.

Implementation notes: administrators said they are researching locking‑pouch vendors, alternative communications systems for families and athletics, and technical workarounds for translation and classroom use. They told the board they could implement a pouch‑based approach within a short timeline if the board chooses that path, but emphasized the need for training, school‑level logistics and clear exception criteria.

The board did not take final action Tuesday; the proposed policy remains under consideration and will return for a vote on June 10.