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Piedmont board adopts mobile device policy; staff to pilot lunch carve‑out before possible bell‑to‑bell ban
Summary
After public comment and discussion about enforcement and data collection, the board approved Board Policy 51.31.8 restricting mobile communication devices during the school day (initial carve‑out for lunch; trustees signaled intent to consider a bell‑to‑bell ban in a later year).
The Piedmont Unified School District board voted to adopt a new mobile communication device policy intended to reduce device distraction and support student focus. The policy, approved unanimously, currently allows a lunch‑time carve‑out in the first implementation year and contemplates a possible move to a bell‑to‑bell ban in a subsequent year.
Melissa Cardovi, speaking for parent advocacy group Keep On Unplugged, told the board the group supports the policy and urged the district to pursue a full‑day ban eventually: “No phones in schools means that our kids will get 6 to 7 hours per day free of distraction,” she said during public comment. Trustees emphasized education and non‑punitive implementation measures, stressing training and consistent enforcement across sites.
Board members asked staff to clarify implementation details, baseline metrics and data collection during rollout so the district can evaluate whether the policy achieves intended outcomes for attention, wellness and school culture. Trustees also discussed special‑case administrative exceptions (for students with IEPs or approved work obligations) and whether “dumb phones” (non‑smart devices) would be included. By consensus, the board adopted the written policy and directed staff to prioritize learning‑space enforcement and to return with implementation procedures and metrics.
The policy passed in an open vote; staff will develop training materials, enforcement protocols and a set of evaluation metrics to be reported back to the board during implementation.
