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Board to send student device policy back to policy committee after members press for clearer rules and teaching supports
Summary
Board members and staff agreed a recently adopted student personal‑device policy needs more work: members asked that the policy committee gather stakeholder input, add clarity on school‑level implementation and specify where digital‑citizenship instruction belongs (policy vs. procedure).
The Robbinsdale Area Schools board discussed its student personal electronic device policy (cell phones and similar devices) at the April 7 work session and directed staff and the policy committee to take additional steps before finalizing revisions.
Board members said the district needs clearer guidance and consistent implementation across classrooms and schools. Several directors asked that the policy committee collect input from students, teachers and families and return with recommended language about: where policy‑level expectations belong vs. building procedures; how the district will teach digital citizenship and responsible device use; how schools will provide timely administrative support when parents need to contact students; and distinctions between elementary, middle and high school practices.
Administrators indicated the district already established building‑level procedures that differ by grade band and principal discretion, and noted that a March legislative deadline referenced in meeting materials requires districts to have a policy in place by the date named in state statute. Multiple board members said they would prefer a deliberate process that includes stakeholder engagement and recommended model language drawn from peer districts (examples cited during the meeting included Saint Paul and other metro systems) so the policy both meets statute and provides operational clarity staff can implement consistently.
The board asked the policy committee to bring a revised draft that (a) clarifies which expectations are policy vs. procedure, (b) addresses grade‑band distinctions, (c) calls for a district‑level digital‑citizenship curriculum or guidance for classrooms, and (d) proposes metrics or monitoring that allow the board to review whether device rules are being enforced consistently.
Superintendent Stallo and policy committee members said they would return with a proposal reflecting stakeholder feedback and administrative procedures for implementation.
