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Administrators pitch keeping district laptops at school to limit off-campus misuse
Summary
Seaman USD 345 administrators proposed keeping district-issued laptops at school (not sending devices home) to limit proxy-based bypass of filters and curb use of AI for homework; board asked for a three- to four-month follow-up if implemented and discussed accommodations for students who miss class.
Administrators at a Seaman USD 345 board meeting proposed a policy change to keep district-issued laptops on campus rather than allowing students to take them home, citing student misuse of devices off campus and technology workarounds that bypass content filters.
A district technology presenter told the board that students were downloading proxy sites that bypass filters and that the technology team had compiled a list of about 8,000 different proxy sites. A presenter said the issue is "almost exclusively at the middle school" where students are first issued devices and are less supervised at home.
The speakers framed the proposal as an instructional decision designed to preserve the integrity of classroom learning and to limit the use of artificial intelligence for homework completion: administrators said they want students to complete digital assignments under supervision rather than having work done at home via AI or proxy sites.
Board members supported the aim but raised questions about homework access, accommodations for ill students or student-athletes, and logistics for families without home devices. One board member asked whether laptops could be checked out for short-term use when a student is absent; administrators said they had discussed options but worried that distribution would quickly expand beyond exceptions.
Administrators said staff and building leadership groups had largely supported the proposal and that about 95% of staff were in favor; they noted a planned professional-development focus on appropriate homework volumes and classroom-based completion strategies. The board requested a follow-up report to be delivered three to four months into the school year if the district implements the change, to evaluate classroom impact and teacher adaptation.
No board vote was taken on the proposal at the meeting; it was presented for discussion and possible future board action.
