Parent urges district review of Chromebook use and limits on student AI access

Heather Rashevsky, a Bellbrook parent and former Air Force colonel, urged the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Board of Education to launch a district-wide, evidence-based review of Chromebook use for grades K–8. Rashevsky told the board she and her husband observed heavy device use in their own twins and said she had prepared packets of research and data for board members.

Rashevsky said teachers in the district report spending substantial time policing students' screens and asked the board to collect and examine actual student screen-time data, patterns of off-task use (including YouTube), research linking device use to learning outcomes, and age-appropriate alternatives. "Chromebooks have become portals to content that parents and teachers cannot reliably control, and this is eroding both learning and classroom focus," she said.

Rashevsky also urged the board to adopt clear limitations on student access to generative AI, arguing that premature or unrestricted use can undermine learning. She referenced Ohio House Bill 96, saying the bill requires districts to adopt formal AI policies. Rashevsky offered to serve on a working group or committee to help draft recommendations and provided contact information and printed materials to the board.

Board members acknowledged receipt of the materials and discussed practical next steps. A board member suggested involving the district’s technology team to help parents configure monitoring tools. A member noted a parental-control app and said the district will distribute information about it at the start of the school year. Administration did not make a formal commitment to a specific timeline for a review during the meeting.

The board did not take formal action on Rashevsky’s requests at the meeting. The materials she provided were collected by staff for follow-up, and the board indicated administration would return with recommendations on how to proceed. Rashevsky’s request remains an outstanding item for potential future action by the district.