Farmington High tightens cell‑phone rules, rolls out managed iPads and caddies

Farmington High School will require students to place phones in classroom cell‑phone “caddies” at the start of class and the district will distribute 7,150 new iPads under managed Apple IDs, Principal Ryan Meyer said during the Farmington Public School District Board meeting.

Meyer said the caddies — each holding about 42 phones and anchored in visible locations — will be used at the beginning of each class period. “The expectation will be that learners will turn in their cell phones into those caddies at the beginning of each class period,” Meyer said. He added that students may instead leave phones in vehicles, lockers or at home if they prefer.

The iPad deployment will use district-managed Apple IDs that limit devices to district‑approved apps and apply cloud‑based filtering wherever devices go, Superintendent Berg told the board. Berg said filtering will include keyword blocking, URL‑level blocking, image analysis and category filters (social networks, etc.) to replicate building filtering off campus.

Meyer described implementation details discussed in staff development, including handling earbuds and Apple Watches under the student handbook rules for electronic devices. For repeated refusal to comply, Meyer said staff will rely on the main office and assistant principals rather than placing teachers into “power struggle” situations. He said repeated incidents may lead to agreements requiring parent pickup or devices being checked into the office.

Board members asked about theft, numbering and mounting of caddies. Meyer said custodians had anchored caddies into walls at observable locations and that the district will number devices and monitor for mix‑ups. He reiterated the district’s position that it is not responsible for lost or stolen personal phones and reminded families they can choose alternatives (leave in locker, vehicle or at home).

Student representative Lexi praised the change, saying it felt good to see a student suggestion adopted. Other student representatives and board members said they expect the policy to reduce distractions and support instructional engagement.

The changes build on Policy 10‑22, adopted last year, and are a district-level implementation step rather than a new policy vote. No formal board action was taken during this agenda item; the presentation and discussion were informational.

Implementation details the district provided: 7,150 iPads arrived districtwide; iPads will use district Apple IDs and cloud filtering; elementary iPads sent home will be tied to a stated educational purpose and parents will be notified in advance. Meyer said classroom charging solutions will limit the previous need for students to bring devices home to charge.