Durham schools debate device ban, smartwatches and smart glasses during first reading of draft cell‑phone policy

Durham Public Schools presented a draft policy (43.18) on student use of cell phones and personal wireless devices, citing a recent districtwide thought exchange that gathered 353 participants and 277 substantive comments. The policy committee moved the draft for first reading and asked staff to return with further guidance and principal input.

The draft, as described by staff, would prohibit personal devices during instructional time and allow a narrower set of exceptions — for example, devices documented in a student’s IEP or 504 plan or required for safety or translation. The policy also includes language about bus use (audio only with headphones) and enforcement steps that place confiscation authority with administrators, not teachers, and reserve device searches to the district’s student‑search policy (43.42).

"Both sides agree the policy should strike a balance between safety and learning," Dr. Giovanni said during the presentation, summarizing the thought‑exchange findings and noting safety concerns from families alongside teachers' and principals' desire not to be the primary enforcers.

Board members pressed staff on several details. Vice Chair Rogers asked whether smartwatches and smart glasses were covered, noting medical and assistive uses: "There are young people who use smartwatches to give them, when their heart rate goes too high, to monitor their anxiety," she said. Staff clarified that the statute defines "personal wireless devices" broadly and that smartwatches would be grouped with other devices that must be turned off and put away during prohibited times unless explicitly authorized in an IEP, 504 or safety plan. Staff also said the draft contains two options on smart glasses: a complete prohibition or allowing prescription smart glasses with tech features disabled and an express ban during exams.

Chair Umstead and other members voiced concern about how accommodations for smart glasses would work in practice, particularly during testing. "If they're in the IEP, would they still be prohibited during testing?" one board member asked; staff said testing protocols and IEP teams would need to address allowable use and that the policy could include clearer implementing guidance on exams.

Board members also asked staff to poll middle‑school principals about current local practices and preferences — several schools reported bell‑to‑bell bans at that level — and to identify whether principals and schools have secure storage for confiscated devices. Staff said principal supervisors indicated secure storage is available but agreed to do a fuller check. Directors also noted the district’s multilingual resource center can provide translation for parents who call schools with concerns that previously would have been addressed by contacting a student directly.

The policy committee recommended a first‑reading approval and further policy‑committee work. "We should preserve consistent practices across schools and provide clear implementation guidance," Miss Byer said. The board voted to approve the draft policy on first read and to send it back to the policy committee for further refinement and to reconvene on Nov. 10; staff were asked to return with clarifying language on smartwatches/smart glasses, a plan to poll middle‑school principals about current practice, and proposals for language‑access outreach.

What happens next: The board set a timeline for additional policy‑committee review (Nov. 10) and a board follow up at the Nov. 20 work session. Staff said any final implementation rules (exemptions, exam exceptions, IEP/504 language) would be added to the policy’s implementing regulations and communicated with principals, teachers and families.