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Parent says MSAD 11 phone policy is harming student with 504 plan; asks board for recourse
Summary
A Randolph parent told the board the district's recently implemented cell-phone policy is impeding a middle-school student's 504 accommodations and that requests for exceptions have been denied; she asked the board for pathways for parental recourse.
A parent told the MSAD 11 board at its March 5 meeting that the district’s cell-phone policy has had unintended consequences for a middle-school student protected under a 504 plan.
Ariel Sides of Randolph said she previously raised concerns during the policy’s implementation and that her request for accommodations for her child was denied, leaving the family at odds with administration. "This type of policy is harmful and there needs to be some sort of recourse for parents that have these concerns," Sides said, adding she felt her "parental rights are being stepped on."
Sides said she recognizes the district’s goals in reducing distraction and cited research on social media’s effect on adolescent well-being, but asked the board to provide accommodations when students have documented needs and to clarify processes for requesting and appealing exceptions.
What happened at the meeting: The board heard Sides’s concerns during public comment but did not take immediate action or issue a directive to staff at the March 5 session. The superintendent and administration were present and later discussed policy-implementation topics in the reports section; no formal policy change was recorded.
Next steps: The parent requested clearer recourse and communication on exceptions to the cell-phone policy for students with 504 plans; the board did not set a date to revisit the policy during the meeting.
