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Des Moines board weighs districtwide cell-phone limits, staff to return in January
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Roberts presented a draft districtwide cell-phone policy that would limit student phone use during instructional time, allow use before/after school and during lunch, and emphasize restorative responses and staff training. Board members asked for more planning and staffing details and asked staff to return in January.
Des Moines Independent Comm School District Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts on Nov. 26 presented a draft districtwide cell-phone policy aiming to reduce in-class distractions and promote digital citizenship.
Dr. Roberts told the board the proposal would permit student use before and after school, during lunch and between classes, and require devices to be silenced and stored during instructional time unless a teacher permits their use for instruction. He said emergency exceptions would be allowed and that disciplinary steps would emphasize understanding and restorative conversations rather than punitive measures.
The superintendent outlined a multi-phase timeline: draft this winter (Nov.–Feb.), stakeholder engagement in spring, professional development and possible piloting in summer and fall 2025, and a districtwide implementation followed by evaluation in spring 2026. Dr. Roberts said the policy would include teacher training, a monitoring committee with parents and community partners, and quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures.
Board members pressed staff for specifics about resources and implementation. Board member Patrick Dicks asked whether additional personnel would be needed to support enforcement; Dr. Roberts said the district may need additional associate-level staff and described tradeoffs if current administrators must respond to phone incidents, which could reduce instructional leadership time.
Several trustees discussed alternatives such as requiring phones remain in bags or using pouches, and urged broader parent engagement. Trustee Kim Marano and others supported a stricter approach—advocating for bell-to-bell nonuse—citing research and local pilot experience at Hoover High School. Other trustees and some students noted pedagogical uses for phones and urged a balanced approach that teaches students discernment.
The board requested that staff incorporate the feedback and return with a revised policy and implementation plan at the board's first meeting in January. Dr. Roberts said the district is targeting fall 2025 for implementation if the board proceeds, with ongoing evaluation in spring 2026.
Next steps: staff will gather additional stakeholder input, analyze staffing needs and pilot options (including pouches/lockboxes), and present a revised policy to the board in January.
