Coronado Unified trustees seek graduated smart-device policy after students, principals urge limits

Trustees of the Coronado Unified School District heard a string of public comments from students and principals and directed staff to return proposed revisions to the district's smart-device policy.

Superintendent Mueller opened the discussion by reviewing four options for Board Policy 5131.8: make no change; update practices districtwide; differentiate by site (elementary, middle and high); or ask staff to research other ideas and return with recommendations. She told the board staff would bring draft policy language back in April and noted the goal of having a policy in place by the first day of the next school year.

Students said the real-world campus experience supports a differentiated approach. "As our responsibility changes along with our social and educational journey, shouldn't the phone policy adapt from school to school along with this fact?" said Landon Ward, a Coronado High freshman. Senior Annika Talavera and junior Ella Mathis also urged changes: Talavera said middle-school students need more restrictive limits to reduce isolation at lunch, while Mathis argued any policy must be enforceable to produce benefits in attendance, focus and bullying reduction.

Principals spelled out practical differences between sites. Brooke Filar, principal at the middle school, urged a bell-to-bell ban at CMS, saying past attempts (phones in backpacks) remained tempting and had not sufficiently reduced off-task social-media use during breaks. High-school administrators and student representatives said enforcement is harder at CHS due to variable schedules and off-campus lunch, and recommended solutions that preserve high-school students' ability to use phones for safety and extracurricular communication.

Trustees debated enforcement and equity. Several trustees said they favored a graduated policy that would treat elementary, middle and high school differently; others expressed interest in piloting lockable pouches or lock boxes at CMS and asked staff to outline disciplinary consequences, liability language for student-owned devices, and pilot timelines. Superintendent Mueller said staff would also review neighboring districts' experience and legal constraints under the California Phone Free School Act, and would include suggested registration and parental-notice language.

The board did not vote on a final policy. Trustees directed staff to prepare draft policy options, implementation proposals and recommended discipline guidance for the board's April meeting; the superintendent said staff would aim for a first-day-of-school effective date if the board later adopts a revised policy.