Auburn to form committee to review student cell-phone practices after state toolkit shared

Superintendent Dr. Chamberlain told the School Committee the district received a cell-phone toolkit from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and shared the material with committee members for review. The packet was described as an overview of options districts can use to limit distraction and address harms such as cyberbullying.

Dr. Chamberlain said she, Mr. Keller and other administrators held a preliminary meeting and recommended forming a stakeholder committee to review whether current practices meet students’ needs and whether the district should formalize or change those practices. “I do think it’s worth a worthwhile conversation,” she said.

Committee members suggested the panel include students, teachers, parents and administrators and flagged specific issues the committee should address: inconsistent building-level implementation (for example, high-school “caddies” vs. middle-school backpack policies), classroom testing vulnerabilities (phones or “burner” devices used during exams), wearable devices such as AirPods and smartwatches, and bus-related recording and privacy concerns. One committee member also noted parents sometimes rely on phones or location apps to track students’ whereabouts, which will factor into any policy changes.

Dr. Chamberlain said the district will solicit volunteers and plan the committee’s scope; she emphasized student voices will be important and that any formal policy change would be a group decision rather than an administrative fiat.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action. Staff will issue a call for stakeholders to participate and return with a more formal proposal after the advisory group meets.