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Teacher urges board not to adopt blanket smartphone ban as policy review proposes extending prohibition to high school
Summary
A teacher and parent, Frank Brunner, told the board there is no clear causal link between smartphones and adolescent mental-health crises and urged careful review of evidence. Superintendent previewed draft code-of-conduct changes that would extend a cell-phone prohibition to grades 9—2 and scheduled a public hearing on Aug. 13.
Frank Brunner, a teacher and parent, urged the Lake Placid board not to adopt a blanket ban on student smartphones and pressed the board to review the broader research base before altering district policy.
"There is no way no way that you can conclude that smartphones are causing a crisis in adolescent mental health if you look at this picture," Brunner said during the public-comment period, citing international comparisons and arguing that the small subset of studies that gained public attention do not establish a causal link. He asked board members to review peer-reviewed child psychology research rather than relying on popular books and headlines and urged board members to speak with students and teachers in person.
At the policy review section of the meeting, the superintendent told the board the district'9s draft code of conduct includes language that would extend an existing prohibition on cell phones beyond K—8 to include ninth through twelfth grades. He said any changes to the code of conduct require a 30-day notice and a hearing, and that the public hearing is scheduled for the board'9s August meeting.
Brunner also raised district-specific concerns he said merit separate attention, including male students'9 participation and outcomes in certain advanced courses and graduation trends. The superintendent acknowledged concerns about anxiety and technology and framed the draft policy changes as part of a balance between student wellbeing and instructional priorities.
The board did not take final action on the code of conduct at the meeting; members were asked to review the draft language ahead of the August hearing.
