Board of Education considers stronger cell phone policies at the high school level

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Concerns about students’ mental health and concerns from BVSD educators have prompted the Boulder Valley School District’s Board of Education to look at strengthening the district’s cell phone policy.

Over the summer, Board members heard from parents and educators, encouraging them to consider banning cell phones in school, following a warning from the U.S. Surgeon General regarding the dangers of social media and the release of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. The book uses research to correlate the ubiquity of cell phones amongst teenagers and the increase of mental health issues impacting the age group. It also advocated for schools to ban cellphones. A number of school districts across the nation followed Haidt’s suggestion, including Los Angeles Unified School District.

In August, the BVSD Board of Education took up the issue. 

WATCH: August 27 Board of Education Work Session

After a presentation and a discussion the Board of Education directed district staff to implement stricter, bell-to-bell (beginning to the end of the school day) cell phone restrictions, kindergarten through 12th grade.

Here is a draft version of the new policy.

BVSD’s current policy
Created in April 2019, BVSD’s cell phone policy was one of the first in Colorado and remains among the strictest.

JRCT-R Student Use of Cell Phones and Other Personal Technology Devices, requires students to put away cell phones or other personal technology devices (PTDs) as follows:

• Elementary and middle school: during school hours (bell-to-bell)
• High school: during class periods

Next Steps
A survey was sent to high school students, staff and families this month to provide them with an opportunity to comment on the possible benefits and challenges a stricter policy might cause, as well as ideas on how to mitigate any concerns. It closes on Sunday, October 20. 

The Board will review a new draft policy at their meeting on Tuesday, October 22. 

Board meetings are broadcast live on BV22 – Comcast Channel 22 or online at https://bv22.cablecast.tv.