City Schools reports positive pilot results and proposes districtwide limits on student devices; second reading set for April 8

Baltimore City Public Schools staff reported Feb. 25 that a 25-school pilot to restrict student use of personal electronic devices has yielded broadly positive self-reported results from teachers, students and parents, and proposed districtwide revisions to policy JICJ to limit device use during the school day.

Deputy Chief Kelvin Moore and Special Assistant to the CEO Seema Shawn Nelson presented a midyear briefing on the pilot. Schools used a mix of approaches — central collection, classroom collection in locked cabinets, locker-based systems and locking device pouches — and many pilots paired the restrictions with non-phone incentives. Staff reported increases in instructional focus and declines in classroom disruptions in survey responses from pilot teachers; students and parents reported mixed reactions but a preponderance of positive outcomes on measures such as “less drama” and stronger in-person engagement.

Principal Ben Mosley, of Glenmount Elementary-Middle (a pilot school), told the board the school’s experience “in just two years has made a huge impact,” saying distractions have decreased and teacher stress has fallen. In the pilot’s midyear surveys, a majority of responding staff reported fewer conflicts, better academic engagement, and improved job satisfaction. The district also polled parents by text; one result noted in the presentation said about 20% of responding caregivers reported that their children were telling them more about the school day since the pilot began.

City Schools proposed several revisions to policy JICJ and its administrative regulation (JICJRA). Key proposed elements include: - Expanding coverage to “portable electronic devices” including phones, smartwatches, headphones and certain geolocation devices, while excluding district-issued laptops and non-communicating tracking tags. - Requiring devices to be “powered off, away and secured” during the student day and defining five acceptable securing methods: (a) full schoolwide student lockers, (b) dedicated device lockers, (c) locking device pouches carried by students, (d) classroom teacher collection into a locked cabinet, or (e) central collection upon arrival and return at dismissal. - Defaulting to central collection for pre-K through grade 8 and a locker-based default for grades 9–12, while allowing schools to request alternative methods that align with the five acceptable approaches. - Restricting use to school-issued devices for instructional translation and other approved academic uses unless an accommodation (IEP/504 or individual health plan) documents a need for a personal device. - Allowing student device use during an emergency only on administrator direction; the district emphasized that schools should have precommunicated plans for family notification in emergencies and that staff should not rely on personal devices to notify families.

Staff told the board it had received extensive public feedback — hundreds of social media and email responses and more than 500 responses to the district’s PASA poll — and that common themes included concerns about student safety and emergency communication, resources needed for secure collection systems, and equity for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. The district noted care for students with documented accommodation needs and said assistive technology or translation by district devices would be permitted when required.

The district has not yet finalized disciplinary language tied to the proposed policy; staff said disciplinary provisions remain part of the student code of conduct and are being refined. The presentation said a second reading of revisions to JICJ is scheduled for April 8; no board vote was taken on Feb. 25.

Public comment at the meeting included dozens of emailed and read statements and several speakers for and against stricter limits. Nathan Farrell, a BTU member and Spanish teacher, urged clear district-level standards and administrative support for enforcement, saying “teachers face huge difficulties in enforcing cell phone policies due to a lack of administrative support.” Several parents told the board they opposed full confiscation and urged alternative approaches such as pouches, secured storage that remains with the student, or clearer emergency communication plans.

Staff said they will continue stakeholder engagement (including further meetings with the BTU and family engagement teams), finalize implementation toolkits for schools, and convene pilot principals to share lessons learned before the April 8 second reading. City Schools also reminded the board that the district remains a plaintiff in litigation against social media companies, and staff said the policy is part of broader efforts to address students’ social-emotional wellbeing related to digital platforms.