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District 97 outlines tech plan, tighter filters and parent controls after parent complaints about iPads
Summary
After multiple parents described students using workarounds, bullying and private browsing on district‑issued devices, staff presented the three‑year technology plan, pilot changes to filtering (move toward Aristotle), limits on direct YouTube access, and a plan to roll out parent portals and training.
Parents told the board that district‑issued iPads and Chromebooks are being used for workarounds, bullying and access to disallowed content, and they asked the district for clearer controls and better family communication. District staff responded with a multi‑year technology plan and near‑term operational changes.
During public comment, Allison Lipsman described students creating shared Google Slides to bypass filters and circulate lists that include bullying targets. “They all create these Google slides and they share them on school devices,” she said, asking the district to disable private browsing on elementary devices and to tighten controls.
Board technology staff (presenting) summarized the district’s iLearn advisory work and proposed actions for SY27, including piloting a new filtering/monitoring vendor (Aristotle), building out parent portals so families can set schedules and screen‑time rules, removing direct student access to youtube.com while enabling curated video embeds through learning management systems, and preserving print/low‑tech options for K–2 classrooms (carts rather than take‑home devices). Staff said the district will push a parent‑portal setup email with how‑to videos and suggested default schedules (for example, evening network pause) so families can opt in or adjust.
On monitoring, staff said Apple’s enterprise reporting does not currently roll up device screen‑time to a district dashboard, but the new single‑sign‑on tooling and Aristotle may provide actionable metrics for instructional use vs. passive browsing. Staff recommended an additional $35,000 for Internet for All, professional learning and innovation supports for the coming year.
Board members requested frequent public updates and suggested formal board representation on the iLearn advisory committee. Staff agreed to provide periodic status reports and parent resources. No formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting; staff said changes such as the Aristotle roll‑out and parent‑portal activation will be implemented over the summer and communicated to families.
