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Centennial board weighs personal electronic device policy; debate centers on storage, exemptions and enforcement
Summary
During a Sept. 24 work session the board reviewed a draft district personal electronic device (PED) policy and asked staff to return a first read in October after surveys of students, staff and families. Directors debated whether devices should be stored off-person, exemptions for medical or IEP needs, and how to standardize consequences.
The Centennial School District board on Sept. 24 reviewed a draft personal electronic device (PED) policy and discussed multiple decision points including scope, definitions, allowable exemptions and disciplinary responses.
Superintendent Owens and April Olsen, director of curriculum and student learning, told the board the district is working from state guidance and an executive order that requires restrictions on device use during instructional hours and that Centennial has implemented school-level practices this fall to limit use while the district develops a formal policy. Olsen said the district is collecting input via staff, student and family surveys and expects to bring a formal draft for first reading in October.
Key decision points discussed by the board:
- Storage location: Options include requiring devices be placed in district-provided pouches, kept in lockers or backpacks, or left on the student’s person but not used during instructional time. Several board members favored an “away” approach (not on the person) to reduce temptation; others preferred the least-restrictive approach to avoid enforcement issues such as teacher searches. Olsen noted secondary schools have different practical realities — for example, lockers may be infeasible at high schools where passing times are short — and that current school implementations vary.
- Definitions and covered devices: The sample policy identifies smartphones, cellular tablets, web-enabled flip phones, and similar devices; board members favored keeping an explicit list (including smartwatches and e-readers) in the policy text so staff and families understand what is included.
- Exemptions: The draft provides for exemptions for medical needs, IEP/504 accommodations and other documented individual circumstances, with appeals handled through the superintendent or designee. Directors urged that exemptions not force repeated annual paperwork and suggested tying medical/IEP exemptions to the duration of the medical plan or IEP where appropriate. Staff said written documentation and a clear AR process will be used; some directors recommended using the student health office to reduce family burden for medical confirmations.
- Field trips and transportation: The draft allows districts discretion for off-site use; directors sought clearer guidance on whether devices may be used during field trips or while students are on buses, noting that contexts vary (e.g., a bus with only a driver versus a school staff–supervised trip).
- Enforcement and restorative approach: State guidance discourages exclusionary discipline for mere possession. Olsen recommended policy language that prohibits loss of instructional time as a disciplinary response and emphasized restoring and instructional responses over suspension or expulsion. Board members asked whether the policy should list minimum uniform consequences across elementary, middle and high school or leave details to school-level implementation; several directors asked for some minimal, districtwide baseline so students in different schools face consistent expectations.
Olsen said the district will provide survey results and implementation data at the October first read. The board gave staff direction to continue community engagement and to return with a draft policy that isolates decision points for board action.
