Parents press Forest Park D91 board for a detailed tech policy and parent visibility into student browsing

Sarah Vanderlaan, a parent of children at Betsy Ross and Garfield preschools, told the Forest Park Public School District 91 Board of Education that the district should adopt a clear, grade-specific technology policy that prioritizes safety and transparency.

"The district should tell parents how, when, and for what specific purposes technology will be used," Vanderlaan said, asking the board to pursue a "white list approach" that allows only pre-approved websites on school-issued Chromebooks. She also requested that the district enable the Securly parent portal so caregivers can see how much time children spend on devices and which sites they visit.

Other parents echoed those concerns during the public-comment period. An unnamed parent speaking on behalf of another caregiver cited the district's existing app-approval framework and suggested it be extended to web access; Jenna Herstick said she tested a district Chromebook at home and found unrestricted YouTube access before the district blocked it after parental reporting.

Supporters of a whitelist approach said it would let teachers retain useful digital tools while reducing incidental exposure to advertising or inappropriate content. Vanderlaan and other speakers framed the request as both a safety measure for young students and a transparency measure for families.

The public commenters asked the board to direct district staff to draft an evidence-based policy that specifies acceptable uses and limits by grade level, implements whitelisting for school devices, and activates the Securly Home parent portal currently available through the district's Securly subscription.

The board did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; public comment was taken under the board's established rules and the comments were recorded for board consideration.