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Committee recommends parental monitoring and whitelisting options for school-issued devices
Summary
SB 88 would require LEAs to provide parents access to monitoring tools showing how school-issued devices are used and allow parents to request whitelist filtering; the committee advanced the bill 3–1 amid questions about LEA costs and enforcement.
A Senate education committee voted to recommend Senate Bill 88, a modest school-technology measure that would require local education agencies to provide parents access to device-monitoring tools and allow parents to request whitelisting of approved websites.
Sponsor said the bill is about transparency: parents should be able to see how much screen time their child has and what sites were visited, and districts should honor parental requests for a whitelist of permitted sites on student devices upon request. The sponsor acknowledged pushback from some districts and adjusted the bill to require whitelisting at parent request rather than a universal statewide whitelist.
Committee discussion focused on cost and feasibility. The fiscal analyst estimated local-level costs could be small (the sponsor cited an illustrative $3 per device per month estimate) but several members noted districts are facing budget constraints and a 5% cut request, making new requirements burdensome. Public comment included parents and nonprofits urging transparency and vendor accountability; some district representatives said many LEAs already provide parent portals.
The committee voted 3–1 to send SB 88 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation; Senator Eby recorded the opposition. Supporters said the bill aligns with parental expectations and existing district practices in many places, while critics pressed for clarity on enforcement and notification to parents about monitoring tools.
