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Resident mental-health counselor urges district to tighten student phone policy
Summary
A member of the public urged the Clover Park board to restrict smartphone use in classrooms, citing mental health and attention research and examples from other districts; the speaker recommended clearer implementation and progressive discipline.
Liz Scott, a Lakewood resident and retired licensed mental health counselor, urged the Clover Park School District board to review and strengthen its student cell-phone policy, saying widespread smartphone use harms attention, sleep and social development.
Citing research and policy examples from other districts, Scott argued that the mere presence of phones in class reduces students' ability to focus. She described local examples where stricter enforcement led to improved classroom engagement and noted the district's current policy language appeared "vague and not clear on how it is being enforced," urging the board to examine implementation and consider consistent discipline and universal application.
Scott asked the board to consider steps that reduce student exposure to distracting notifications and to adopt clearer operational expectations for schools. Her remarks were delivered during public comment; board members acknowledged the issue and indicated interest in reviewing policy implementation.
