Ann Arbor speakers press board for bell‑to‑bell phone‑free schools with secure device storage

Dozens of parents, teachers and health professionals urged the Ann Arbor Public Schools board on Tuesday to adopt a districtwide bell‑to‑bell phone‑free policy that includes secure device storage.

“ I wanna express strong support for a district wide first bell to last bell phone free policy with secure device storage,” said Karen Anderson Brown, an AAPS parent and executive‑functioning coach, during public comment. Dr. Beth Barkley, a pediatrician practicing in Ann Arbor, said, “Having students go without phones during a 7 hour school day is smart public health,” and described patients who report cyberbullying and worsening anxiety.

Speakers presented practical models and local examples. Mike Epstein, a parent who has researched device‑storage systems, described how a pouch system is used and read a principal’s letter that outlined lockable pouches and unlocking stations. Epstein cited an approximate per‑student hardware price, saying it is “Generally, $25.50, unless we take advantage of an offer by January 12 where the pricing drops to $15 per student.”

Teachers and staff framed the argument around classroom time and social development. Pioneer teacher Amy Vale said enforcing classroom stow‑the‑door rules consumes energy better used for instruction and described hallways and lunches where students are alone on phones rather than interacting. Parents and researchers at the meeting cited studies and preliminary analyses showing mixed results on mental‑health measures but consistent small academic gains where secure storage was implemented. Statistician and parent Jonathan Terhorst emphasized equity risks, citing a working paper on Florida’s statewide ban that reported first‑year disciplinary increases concentrated among Black students and arguing for districtwide, uniformly enforced systems rather than classroom‑by‑classroom discretion.

Organizers presented a petition and outreach plan. Amiel Handelsman, a parent organizer, said the petition had hundreds of signatures and offered to facilitate vendor meetings and parent focus groups. Several speakers urged the board to pursue a system that removes enforcement from individual teachers to reduce discretionary discipline.

Board chair and staff response: the chair thanked speakers and staff said the item will be discussed further at an upcoming conference meeting. No formal action was taken during the meeting.

What’s next: The board indicated it will consider the topic in a conference meeting this Friday and has received volunteer offers from parents to provide demonstrations and vendor information.