Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Student member urges Somers board to approve supervised research computers to ease blocked resources
Summary
Student member Ally Lusthouse asked the board for a small number of supervised research computers in the middle and high school libraries to enable access to educational platforms now blocked under data‑privacy restrictions; staff described Ed Law 2‑d constraints and possible monitored solutions.
At the January meeting of the Somers Central School District Board of Education, student member Ally Lusthouse told trustees that many students struggle to access research tools on school devices and Wi‑Fi because platforms that require user data have been blocked. Ally proposed establishing a small bank of supervised “research” computers in middle and high school libraries that would allow controlled access for academic work while limiting data collection.
Ally explained the problem and a proposed workaround: "So YouTube is what a lot of students use to study," she said, and the designated research computers would be monitored and shared so student data is protected. She recommended that those computers be treated like teacher stations so that needed educational resources could be available during school hours without exposing personal data.
District staff and trustees discussed the legal and technical constraints. A staff speaker summarized the data‑privacy concern: "I think part of what the law says is that anything that takes data from the user is not allowed in schools and for kids under the age of 18," and another trustee/staff clarified that some platforms are available when vendors sign required contracts to meet Ed Law 2‑d standards.
Trustees asked how the district might implement the proposal while preserving student privacy. Possible approaches discussed included limiting research devices to supervised library areas, treating them as shared teacher resources, tracking usage for accountability, and coordinating with BOCES or vendor contracts to ensure compliance. Board members also noted there are equity implications: students who need research access for IB and capstone work are currently disadvantaged when platforms are blocked on school Wi‑Fi.
Ally said she and student groups will pursue the idea in coming weeks and hoped to work with staff to pilot a small number of monitored research stations. No formal motion was taken on the proposal at this meeting; it was recorded as a student report and an item for staff follow‑up.
