District to draft personal electronic device policy after governor's executive order; board to consider draft in August

Central School District 13J announced it will develop a personal electronic device policy in response to a governor's executive order, and district staff outlined a timeline for community input and board review.

Superintendent (presenter) and staff told the board the executive order requires local school boards to adopt policies no later than Oct. 31 and to have operational procedures in place by Jan. 1. The district plans to gather feedback from administrators in August, meet with union leadership, solicit community input via a Google form, and gather direct feedback from students. Staff said they expect to present a first draft to the board in August, a second reading in September and a final board action in October; the district noted it may bring a draft earlier to a workshop if ready.

The presentation reviewed key policy components outlined in ODE materials, including permitted use cases, storage expectations, posting requirements for families and students, and responses for noncompliance. Staff emphasized the policy is mandatory under the executive order and that the board must adopt a local policy in the stated timeline. The district said it will wait for additional guidance from the Oregon School Board Association and the Oregon Department of Education when finalizing administrative rules.

Staff committed to returning to each board meeting with updates and to include translated outreach materials and student-focused feedback. The board asked district staff to prioritize opportunities for community comment and to clarify adult/staff guidance in the draft, as the executive order and state guidance were described as focusing primarily on student device use.