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Board leans toward middle‑ground cell‑phone rules for students; staff to draft formal policy
Summary
Following surveys of students (150), staff (≈700) and families (≈4,000), the board directed staff to draft a revised cell‑phone policy that would keep devices off/away during class and limit use at passing periods and lunch, with high‑school exceptions at lunch and free periods.
After staff presented survey results and three progressively stricter policy options, the Simi Valley Unified School District board directed staff to draft a revised student cell‑phone policy reflecting a middle‑ground approach.
Dr. Bloch summarized feedback from approximately 150 student advisory members, about 700 staff respondents and roughly 4,000 families. Surveys showed little support for collecting or locking phones, broad support for silencing devices and keeping them in bags, and differing preferences by grade level for lunchtime/device use.
Staff proposed three options: 1) phones off and in bags during class with limited other restrictions; 2) all personal electronic devices off and stored during school/class time (with lunchtime allowances at high schools); and 3) a strict campus‑wide ban on smartphones during the school day except by office permission. Trustees debated enforceability (passing periods, lunch, smartwatches), student autonomy and teacher workload. Several trustees favored a reasonable middle path that keeps devices away during class but allows supervised lunchtime or free‑period use at high schools.
Trustees asked staff to work with site administrators to develop consistent progressive‑discipline language and to return with a drafted policy for an information item. Staff noted that the state law AB 3216 requires tightened guidance but includes exceptions (medical devices, classroom‑permitted uses). No formal policy vote occurred at this meeting.
