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Board member Kim urges Leonia schools to restrict student devices and pause EdTech spending
Summary
Board member Kim urged the board and administration to review state device legislation and to pause EdTech spending, remove student-facing AI and end preK/K 1:1 device requirements; administrators said district policy was recently revised and they are awaiting state model guidance.
At the meeting, board member Kim urged the Leonia Board of Education, the policy committee and administrators to act on recently referenced state legislation concerning internet-enabled personal devices and to tighten district policy.
Kim listed five requests: that board members educate themselves on research about cellphone and EdTech impacts on students; that administrators conduct a deep review and pause new EdTech spending; that the board recognize cellphones and related EdTech can harm learning; that student-facing AI be removed from classrooms; and that the requirement for a 1:1 device ratio for pre-K and kindergarten be dropped. Kim framed the items as urgent and referenced other countries that have moved to restrict device use in schools.
District administrators responded that the technology policy had been revised in August and that district leaders have been discussing technology use and waiting for model policy guidance from the governor’s office before making further local changes. The superintendent and staff said they will review the new state requirements and discuss next steps with the policy committee.
The transcript records Kim’s remarks and administrators’ responses but does not include final board action to adopt the changes Kim requested. The board chair invited Kim to provide her written points to the administration for consideration.
