Portland schools report smoother enforcement of middle‑school phone rules; debate opens on high‑school ban

The Curriculum and Policy Committee of the Portland Public Schools board heard an update Jan. 29 on middle‑school implementation of the district’s cell‑phone policy and a developing push by some parents and staff for stricter rules at the high‑school level.

District staff told committee members they have moved from uneven enforcement toward consistent classroom practice at the middle‑school level, using a common advisory lesson, family outreach and a short classroom prompt — "phone spotted" — to remind students to put devices out of sight. Dr. Ahmed, an assistant superintendent who led the presentation, said staff work since August 2024 has included school‑level surveys, staff training and a family survey to assess support and challenges.

The update matters, staff said, because teachers reported frequent in‑class disruptions from phones and because consistent expectations reduce confusion for students and staff. Courtney Grafias, the district’s technology information coordinator, described a package of digital‑citizenship lessons used across the three middle schools and cited federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on coupling device policy with media‑literacy education.

What staff presented

Dr. Ahmed said the board policy (JFCK) already requires that devices not be used in ways that disrupt learning; at the elementary and middle levels devices are to be turned off or silenced and kept out of sight during the school day. Staff reported actions taken since August 2024: a staff survey; a standardized advisory lesson for students; family outreach including a parent university event and updated web resources; and collection of limited discipline data.

District staff summarized key data points: about 70% of educators who completed a summer staff survey rated cell phones as "highly problematic" or "problematic," and about 76% said they supported tightening controls. Assistant principals tracked interventions during the first two months of school and reported being called to classrooms about 2.5 times per week on average to address phone use. A separate family survey collected 365 responses; staff reported that survey respondents were overwhelmingly English‑speaking and that families rated awareness of the "off and away" policy about 4.9 out of 5 and support for increased restrictions about 3.9 out of 5.

To reduce inconsistent reminders, middle‑school staff adopted a short, uniform phrase teachers use to redirect students — "phone spotted" — which administrators reported has produced prompt compliance at schools using the approach.

Public comment and stakeholder views

Several teachers and parents urged the committee to adopt a stricter, bell‑to‑bell ban at high schools. Matt Hosmer, a teacher at Casco Bay High School, said, "I believe that it is in the interest of our students' health and education to remove personal cell phones and other technological devices from the school day, from the beginning of the bell to the end." Ernest Braun, a building substitute at Casco Bay High School, testified that inconsistent enforcement "is leading to an educational environment where very few students have the opportunity to engage in learning at the level and depth and rigor that we owe to provide them." Parents who spoke — including Anna Cohen and Lucy Bergen — said they had noticed fewer disruptions at middle schools where staff are enforcing the policy and expressed support for extending stricter rules to high schools.

What would change at the high‑school level

District staff noted the high‑school policy differs: under current policy, high‑school students may use devices during non‑instructional times such as lunch and some class activities, and phones must be silenced to avoid disruption. Dr. Ahmed said some parents and teachers are organizing to request more restrictive high‑school rules but that the group of parents who have reached out is not a representative sample of the district’s families and does not currently include broad multilingual outreach.

Staff and committee members emphasized that any move to stricter high‑school rules would require broader engagement with students, families (including non‑English speaking households), principals and staff. Committee members and administrators discussed logistics such as whether lockboxes, morning drop‑offs, or other practical steps would be needed and raised concerns about shifting enforcement burden to classroom teachers.

District supports and classroom practice

Courtney Grafias described the district’s digital‑citizenship curriculum for middle schools, which covers how apps influence attention and strategies for students to build healthier habits. Grafias cited federal guidance, noting in part that districts that pair device policies with digital‑citizenship instruction can help students build more balanced relationships with smartphones.

Next steps

Staff told the committee they will continue to collect data, expand outreach (including to multilingual families), and consult students and families before recommending changes for high schools. Several principals and staff present said they would like to continue the work and consider pilot options for the next school year.

Votes and formal actions

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, which committee members approved by voice vote. No formal policy change was voted on at this meeting.

Ending

Committee members thanked staff, parents and students for their work and testimony and moved to the next agenda item, a student proposal on civic education.