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Selah board reviews broad stakeholder survey as parents and staff push stricter phone rules
Summary
After public commenters urged a bell‑to‑bell ban, the Selah School District presented results of a rank‑order survey of students (613 responses), parents (198) and staff (209); students favored keeping the current policy while staff favored a stricter ban. The board said it will weigh the survey alongside forums and student voice before deciding policy for 2026‑27.
Superintendent McKay told the board that the district conducted a rank‑order survey of stakeholders to inform possible changes to its telecommunication and cell‑phone policy for the 2026‑27 school year.
"We had 613 responses from students," McKay said, "and the students selected Proposal A — our current policy — as their top choice. Parents and staff also participated: about 198 responses from parents and 209 from staff, with staff showing more support for Proposal C, a bell‑to‑bell ban." McKay emphasized the survey is one of several inputs the board will use, alongside community forums and student representatives, before making a decision.
Several public commenters urged the board to take stronger action. Parent Joel Dude told trustees that research links student phone access during the school day to lower academic performance and reduced mental health, and asked the district to adopt a bell‑to‑bell prohibition. "We should give our teachers the best environment to teach and students the best environment to learn," he said.
Lisa Drainy, a parent and school‑psychology intern, urged the board to base decisions on research and described specific benefits she attributed to stricter phone restrictions, including declines in bullying and improved classroom focus. She also relayed law‑enforcement concerns about phones during active‑shooter events, saying phones can complicate emergency response.
An emailed public comment read by staff urged a strict definition of "phone‑free schools," asking that phones, smartwatches and other connected devices remain off and inaccessible for the full school day.
District staff described the survey methodology: students in grades 5–11 received a simplified rank‑order instrument; each stakeholder group received the same three proposals to rank. McKay said participation levels were adequate for internal comparison, though he cautioned that survey results are not the sole determinant of policy.
Board members asked about enforcement and consistency. A student representative noted that the current policy is unevenly enforced in classrooms. Staff acknowledged that whatever policy is chosen will require clear expectations and supervisory work to ensure consistent implementation across teachers and buildings.
The board did not take a vote on policy. McKay said the district would gather remaining stakeholder input and that the board would consider a policy decision in the coming months for implementation in 2026‑27.
