BVSD high schools report early gains after districtwide 'off and away' cell-phone policy

Boulder Valley School District high-school principals reported early positive effects from a district policy requiring students’ cell phones to be “off and away” during the school day, telling the board March 11 that classrooms and common spaces show more engagement and students are forming new social connections.

The policy (J R C T), adopted by the board last fall, took effect at the start of the school year for high schools. Assistant Superintendent Robin Fernandez introduced a brief implementation update and said principals from Broomfield High and Centaurus High would highlight both celebrations and continuing operational questions.

“I have seen an increase in student conversations during open periods,” Broomfield Principal Ginger Ramsey told trustees, and she listed examples: students using free time to “get classwork completed,” more visible Chromebook use for homework and more casual play such as ping-pong and Jenga in supervised spaces. Ramsey said the school invited parents to informal meetings and moved from classroom collection to centralized collection during open periods and lunch beginning Feb. 3.

Centaurus Principal Carlin Carroll described a student-centered rollout. “My students came in droves and asked for many things but 3 main things stood out. They needed support in connecting. They needed to be trusted and they wanted to play together,” Carroll said. Carroll said the school created a student center with activities such as air hockey, foosball and ping-pong, developed with student council input, and phased enforcement to give students time to build new habits: a reminder period followed by a phase in which a phone could be confiscated for a day.

Enforcement and early metrics Principals described low confiscation rates after the grace period. Carroll reported the school “confiscate[s] less than 20 phones a day.” Ramsey said the honor-system approach has allowed students to use shared equipment (paddles, games) without daily conflict. Principals also said they were handling accommodations for students who require phones for documented classroom work (yearbook, media classes) or for health/anxiety-related reasons.

Principals and staff are monitoring instructional impact. Carroll distributed a teacher survey and said teachers report gains in engagement and collaboration; she added the jury is “still out on achievement impact as they won a semester,” noting academic effects may take longer to measure.

Board reaction Board members praised the approach that emphasizes culture change over purely punitive measures. Trustee Lalena Quinlan told principals she was “super impressed” with the work and with the emphasis on quiet study spaces; Trustee Kitty Sargent said she was pleased to see students using lunchtime to socialize rather than to “stand around in groups.” Several trustees asked about specific populations and accommodations; Fernandez and principals said the district is working with schools to ensure private accommodations for students with documented needs (for example, those using phones to manage anxiety or as part of class assignments).

What’s next District leaders said they will continue to monitor confiscation data, teacher feedback and any equity or supervision burdens. Principals asked for and said they had received district supports for phased rollout and modest site budgets to supply student-center equipment. Trustees asked staff to continue reporting updates and to confirm that accommodations and clear communications to families and staff are in place.

No policy change was made at the meeting; the board received the implementation update and voiced support for the district’s phased, student-centered rollout.