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Parents urge opt-out for district-issued internet devices; superintendent says board not ready
Summary
Two parents urged the East Windsor Regional School District to adopt a parental opt-out for district-issued internet-enabled devices, citing litigation and safety concerns; Superintendent Mark said the board is not prepared to adopt such a policy now and outlined an administrative review and reading schedule for Policy 55-16.
Dozens of parents asked the East Windsor Regional School District on July 13 to let families opt out of one-to-one, district-issued internet-enabled devices, while the superintendent said the board will review but is not yet prepared to adopt an opt-out policy.
James Advil, who told the board he was representing 137 petition signers, urged the district to adopt a parent-rights opt-out for district devices. He cited recent litigation and said the lawsuits show online platforms and device deployment can harm children. "I rescind any prior authorization to do so," Advil told the board, saying parents should not be required to accept district-issued internet access for their children.
Superintendent Mark thanked Advil and described the board's current position. "Right now, the board's position is that we are not, the board's not prepared to engage in that, development of a policy currently," he said, noting the district believes technology can responsibly support instruction and that teachers play a role in supervising use.
Mark said the district will convene an administrative team to draft revisions to Policy 55-16 to align with guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education (released July 9). He said the policy committee will review an administrative draft on August 3, the board aims for a first reading at the August 10 meeting and a second reading at a subsequent August meeting before adoption decisions.
Another parent, Misty Avellone, described classroom examples she said show excessive device use for early grades and recounted finding a noneducational game on her child's Seesaw classroom page. "Parents were never given the opportunity to review or discuss how much time our children would spend on these screens," she said, urging clearer parental notice and options.
The board did not vote on a parental opt-out at the meeting. Superintendent Mark said the next steps are an administrative drafting process, committee review and the two scheduled board readings in August; he added the district plans to provide communications and a frequently asked questions document to families once a draft is prepared.
The exchange occurred during the public-comment period of the East Windsor Regional School District Board of Education's regular meeting on July 13, 2026. The board moved to executive session after public comment and will continue policy deliberations in August.
