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Public urges strict cell‑phone limits as district begins device‑policy review
Summary
Parents and community members told the Cold Spring Harbor Board of Education that a student device policy should be treated as urgent and urged a bell‑to‑bell ban on personal phones while the board’s policy committee studies broader technology use.
Community members urged the Cold Spring Harbor Board of Education on Wednesday to move quickly toward stricter limits on students’ personal devices as the board’s policy committee begins a broader review of technology use.
“I'm super excited to hear that we're taking a more full view of what technology in the classroom looks like,” Cecilia Gilroy said during the first public comment period. She called a personal‑device policy “the most urgent topic,” urged the board to consider a bell‑to‑bell ban and asked administrators to move rapidly to operationalize any change.
At the second public comment period, Caroline Mullen, a West Side parent, told trustees she supported urgent limits because of social and academic harms she associates with phones and social media. “We really are at a turning point in what we know and what we're learning about the impact of devices on our children,” she said, and asked the board to consider banning devices during the school day at all levels.
Board members noted the district’s policy committee will meet to consider the issue and said the board intends to gather input from principals, parents and students. Superintendent Jill Garoche and administrators referenced an upcoming policy‑committee meeting and district‑level surveys: the high school improvement team has discussed device use, building principals have solicited parent input, and the district plans a policy‑committee discussion the following day.
Administrators cautioned that any formal capital or program changes tied to technology (for example, device procurement or platform rollout) will need planning and training. The board’s AI/tech subcommittee, an offshoot of the tech committee, reported it is exploring vetted platforms and expecting additional state guidance by September; several trustees said teacher training will be required if the board enacts new technology protocols.
What happens next: trustees said the policy committee will consider community feedback and staff recommendations at an upcoming meeting; no final policy was adopted at Wednesday’s session.
