Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Hixson Middle pilot keeps Chromebooks in school amid parent worries about screen time
Loading...
Summary
After parents complained the district lacks data on student screen time, the principal at Hixson Middle described a pilot keeping Chromebooks in school as a supplemental tool; staff reported fewer cyber incidents and early signs of improved classroom engagement, while teachers adapt to more paper-based workflows.
A Hamilton County parent and several board members told the school board there is “no data” measuring how long students spend on Chromebooks at school, and asked the district to collect time-on-device information and consider policy limits.
“My kids are going to school and it's the Wild West,” parent Jessie Klockner (District 2) told the board, saying schools provided browser-click reports but not a measure of total device time. “As a parent, concerning that there's literally no data as to how much time our kids are spending on screens.”
The board heard a presentation from Hixson Middle School principal (identified in the meeting as “Coach C”), who described a pilot that keeps Chromebooks on campus as a supplemental instructional tool rather than allowing full take-home use. Coach C said the school has seen fewer cyber incidents and fewer daytime alerts; staff also reported that some classes show greater active engagement when students use paper-based activities instead of screens.
“We're not denying kids access to any technology. We're just trying to withhold the amount of screen time that they have,” the principal said, adding that students with IEPs or documented needs still receive devices to take home.
Teachers and board members noted trade-offs: some instructional materials are best delivered digitally (three-dimensional science models, certain simulations), and teachers must now spend additional planning time to maintain gradebooks and provide paper assignments. The principal said the administrative team had allocated planning time to help teachers adjust.
Why it matters: Parents and some teachers argued that unmeasured device time can harm attention and mental health; principals and the pilot team said constrained device use can reduce off-task behavior and give teachers better observational access to students’ work.
What’s next: The board heard the pilot update but did not vote on policy. Staff said they will continue to monitor the pilot and return with more data to the board.
