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Franklin planners weigh limits on personal devices as Chromebook program cost and screen time draw scrutiny
Summary
District staff and participants debated whether to keep one-to-one Chromebooks and discussed a forthcoming policy to restrict personal wireless devices in school; speakers cited roughly $500,000 annual Chromebook costs and raised data-privacy questions tied to a social-media legal matter.
Technology and screen-time concerns emerged as a sustained point of debate during the district’s planning session.
A presenter told the group the state is likely to push limits on students' personal wireless devices and that the district will present a proposed policy for board consideration that would prohibit items such as smartwatches, earbuds and cell phones from being used in school. "They have to have a secure place for their resources," the moderator said, describing options such as keeping devices in backpacks or not bringing them at all.
Participants and staff also discussed the future of the district’s one-to-one Chromebook program. Attendees voiced mixed views on whether to keep Chromebooks assigned to students or restrict take-home use to limit screen time and outside-device access. In the discussion a speaker said the district spends "over $500,000 every year on Chromebooks," and participants debated whether older students need home access while younger students do not.
Presenters also mentioned the district’s involvement in a class-action lawsuit related to social media; a recent data request in that case sought district-held social‑media data, which a presenter estimated at about eight terabytes. The comment framed part of the discussion about data holdings, privacy and the tradeoffs of device-based instruction.
No policy vote or formal board action occurred at the meeting; the district said the board will receive a proposed device policy and that technology will be discussed further at future planning sessions.
Because the meeting recorded only discussion and no formal motions on device policy, the district has not yet adopted a new rule or altered its Chromebook practice.
