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Committee hears research on social media and student mental health; strong board reactions on phone bans
Summary
An assembled team summarized research on teens' social media use, brain development and school impacts; the committee heard calls from multiple board members and attendees urging a strict ban on cell phones in K–8 and tighter limits in high school. The district will return in May with policy recommendations.
The curriculum committee heard the first of two presentations on student cell‑phone use and social media impacts, and the discussion drew strong reactions from committee members and attendees urging strict in‑school limits.
Nicole Bouhana, identified as an assistant principal, presented a synthesis of research: she summarized findings on typical teen device use (for example, that teens receive many daily notifications and that high social media use correlates with increased anxiety and depression) and described developmental concerns — adolescent sensitivity to social feedback and identity formation — cited in academic commentary. The presentation included a short clip of author Jonathan Haidt explaining a widely observed decline in adolescent social interaction after smartphones and social media became pervasive between about 2010 and 2015.
Bouhana and staff described district committee work over two years, local walkthroughs and reviews of comparable districts that have implemented phone restrictions. Staff said some secondary buildings (Freedom, Liberty and middle schools) have implemented varying restrictions: Freedom began a restriction about three years ago, Liberty implemented a freshman‑center restriction, and middle schools implemented restrictions this year. The district will return to the committee in May with specific district‑level recommendations and proposed procedures.
Committee members and community attendees responded strongly. Several said they favor an outright ban on phones for K–8 students and much stricter controls at high school; one board member and other speakers argued that a district‑level ban is feasible because the district can enact a collective action solution — requiring all phones off during school eliminates the asymmetry that makes a single student’s limit ineffective. Other members asked staff to include comparative data on safety outcomes, implementation experience from other states and a clear plan for parent communication and office phone access if the policy reduces in‑class phone use.
Staff emphasized the next step: district staff and a committee will return with recommended guidelines and implementation procedures in May. The committee did not vote on a policy at the meeting.
