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Board tightens personal-device rules after teachers and parents raise K–3 screen‑time concerns
Summary
Trustees approved amendments to policy JICJ to restrict personal devices in classrooms and heard multiple public comments urging limits on passive screen time for younger students; the policy passed 6–0 with exceptions for IEP/504 accommodations.
The Eagle County School District board on Wednesday approved amendments to policy JICJ to further restrict personal devices in classrooms, citing teacher reports that phones and non-district devices are distracting students.
Phil Quellman presented the amendment and said the district will provide Chromebooks for instructional use, with district firewalls and filters in place. He told the board the policy includes exceptions for lesson-specific uses, principal discretion and students with IEPs or 504 plans.
Public commenters earlier in the meeting urged the board to act on screen time, especially for elementary students. "Teachers need guardrails, especially just to say, like, this is effective and this is not," said Lauren Powell, a first-grade teacher at Eagle Valley Elementary. Powell described changes she has observed in attention and fine-motor skills that she links to passive screen use.
Laura Vivarito, a parent and early-childhood educator, asked the board to create clear boundaries for K–3 classrooms and suggested a digital-literacy curriculum that supports intentional device use. "We want to partner with you to develop guardrails for technology, especially for our youngest learners in K to 3," she said.
Board members noted the restorative-practices work and the revised discipline matrix would dovetail with the new device policy by helping staff apply consistent responses. After discussion, a motion to approve the JICJ amendments was moved and seconded; the board adopted the changes by voice vote, motion passes 6–0.
The policy change will rely on district-issued devices for classroom instruction; principals may authorize exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
Vote at a glance: Motion to approve amendments to ECSD policy JICJ — mover: Juan (speaker 12); second: Natalia Conlon (speaker 3); vote: 6–0.
Next steps: The policy will be implemented for the coming year with additional guidance to principals and teachers on applying exceptions and accommodations.
