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Parents bring 655-signature petition urging limits on elementary iPad use in District 97
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Summary
Multiple parents urged the Oak Park board to reevaluate device use in elementary schools, presenting a petition they said has 655 signatures and asking for device-use audits, weekly family screen-time reports and strict daily caps for young students.
Parents pressed the Oak Park Elementary District 97 board during public comment to limit elementary classroom screen time and increase transparency about district-issued device use.
"In fact, last week, the petition calling for systematic reform ... garnered 655 parent signatures," said Breanna Connor (S4), a parent at Nan Elementary, who asked the board to restrict elementary student use of district devices to no more than 15 minutes per day, to ban device use as a reward, and to provide families weekly reports on individual and classroom device usage.
Another parent, Laura Johnson (S3), told trustees she has "been increasingly concerned about screen addiction" since the pandemic and asked for district data on per-subject device minutes, differences by grade and class, teacher supports and how IT enforces boundaries (for example, preventing incognito browsing).
Both speakers invoked national reporting and academic research to support their request for a district audit of device use. Board members responded that a technology audit and clearer family communications could be useful; staff said they would follow up and that some tools and security platforms already exist.
Ending: Trustees asked staff to provide more information, and the facilities/finance presenters later noted the board is exploring targeted audits and communications as part of next steps; no formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.
