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Los Alamitos board adopts new mobile-device policy requiring documented site exceptions
Summary
The Board of Education approved BP 5131.8 to restrict student use of mobile communication devices while adding a requirement that instructional exceptions be preapproved through a site administrative process; the policy also expands its definition to include AirPods and earbuds.
The Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education approved a revised policy on mobile communication devices (BP 5131.8) after a second reading that added clearer exception procedures and an expanded device definition.
Administrators told the board that any instructional exception "must be submitted through the designated school site administrative process in advance and be properly documented," rather than left to individual teachers, and that the district will add parents to communications guidance so notices say that "students and parents are encouraged" to follow the district's preferred contact procedures. Doctor Pulver told the board staff had met with site teams and planned a communications rollout before the new school year.
The policy's definition was expanded in the second reading to list "AirPods, headphones, and earbuds," along with smart glasses and gaming devices, because administrators said such devices were increasingly common in classrooms. Board members discussed medical and IEP-based exemptions; staff said existing law and the policy's exemption language would accommodate medical needs and individualized education program requirements.
Board members pressed for consistent implementation across school sites, including a standard administrative process for documenting exceptions that school staff would follow. One board member said the goal was consistency so teachers could not grant impromptu exceptions; another raised the potential complexity of prescription smart glasses and the need to consider medical exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
The board voted to adopt the policy with the recommended additions and clarifications. The adoption was presented during the second reading and carried by consensus, recorded in the meeting as "The motion carries 5 0." The policy will be rolled out to families and staff with guidance on how site-level exception requests will be handled and documented.
